Secured By Design has issued this statement regarding the recent TSE show at the Birmingham NEC which attracted bumper crowds

The 2023 Security Event heard from amazing speakers, saw the latest technologies and innovations and connected professionals from across the industry.

One of the central themes of the show was the Internet of Things (IoT), with presentations and panel discussions held across the three days of the show at the Designing Out Crime Zone.

This year’s Security Event welcomed an incredible 11,231 visitors – a record-breaking number that exceeded all expectations – to the show.

With the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 having now been enacted into UK law, industry professionals and manufacturers of consumer IoT products were keen to find out more on the subject.

The new law relates to connected safety-relevant products such as smoke detectors and door locks; connected home automation and alarm systems; IoT base stations and hubs to which multiple devices connect; smart home assistants; smartphones & connected cameras and requires manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure that minimum security requirements are met in relation to consumer connectable products.

Police CPI’s Michelle Kradolfer and Michael Brooke delivered a daily seminar on IoT and the Current Threat Landscape, looking at how Secured by Design’s Secure Connected Device accreditation can help manufacturers highlight their products as having achieved the necessary IoT standards and certification required by the law.

A panel session each day saw experts from policing and the security industry look at where the physical security and cyber security worlds collide, discussing the impact of the IoT on physical security and how the problem this presents can be tackled.

Michelle said: “It was an absolutely fantastic three days at The Security Event 2023, with some fantastic discussions taking place. I would like to thank Vanessa Eyles Managing Director of the West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre and renowned cyber security expert Neil Sinclair for the unique insight that they brought to the panel sessions.

“It is vitally important to ensure that all IoT products have the right level of security in place to protect consumers and reduce the risk of them falling victim to cyber crime.”

Secure Connected Device accreditation for IoT products
The national police security initiative, Secured by Design (SBD), launched the Secure Connected Device accreditation scheme in 2022 in response to the pending legislation, coupled with a growing demand from industry and current members seeking to gain SBD accreditation for IoT products.
The SBD Secure Connected Device accreditation scheme, developed in consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), helps companies to get their products appropriately assessed against all 13 provisions of the ETSI EN 303 645 standard, a requirement that goes beyond the Government’s legislation so that companies can not only demonstrate their compliance with the legislation but protects them, their products and customers.
The SBD Secure Connected Device IoT Assessment identifies the level of risk associated with an IoT device and its ecosystem, providing recommendations on the appropriate certification routes with one of the SBD approved certification bodies. Once third-party testing and independent certification for a product has been achieved, the company can apply to become SBD members, with the product receiving the SBD’s Secure Connected Device accreditation, a unique and recognisable accreditation that will highlight products as having achieved the relevant IoT standards and certification.

Why is the Secure Connected Device accreditation for IoT products important?
The risk of a cyber attack or breach against an IoT device can be reduced as SCD accredited devices have been tested to ensure they have been built to the required security standards.
The Secure Connected Device accreditation is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for the security of their IoT products in the UK.
SBD continually monitor national crime trends to keep pace with changing patterns of criminal behaviour and new technology, ensuring that standards are updated to reflect these changes.
View from the expert
Michelle Kradolfer is the Internet of Things (IoT) Technical Officer at Police CPI and the lead for Secured by Design’s Secure Connected Devices accreditation. Michelle graduated from University with a Masters in Cyber Crime and Digital Investigation (with Distinction) and has worked at INTERPOL, with the Research and Innovation team within the Cyber Innovation & Outreach Directorate, as well as a Cyber Development Officer with the Police Digital Security Centre.
Michelle said: “Without the appropriate levels of security, any internet connected device or app is at risk of providing cyber criminals with a key to enable them to access and steal personal data. Adverse publicity due to a cyber incident could be catastrophic to the reputation of the product and company.
“Compliance with the ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation sends a clear message to the wider industry of the importance of IoT security. Companies accredited to this new SBD standard will lead by example and be at the forefront of the IoT revolution and in doing so will help to keep their customers and the public safer from the risk of a cyber breach”.