Connected devices are known first and foremost for their convenience factor -- from smart vacuum cleaners to digital assistants, it’s easy to understand why the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has seen such widespread adoption. Every second, 127 new IoT devices are connected to the web, and experts predict that by 2025, that figure will equate to more than 75 billion connected devices overall. But, such convenience also brings security risk, as these devices are often riddled with security vulnerabilities impacting security and privacy both at a consumer and corporate level.
In an effort to help bolster the security of IoT devices, on December 4, 2020, the Trump administration signed the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020. The first-of-its-kind legislation requires the creation of security standards and guidelines for IoT devices used in and purchased by the federal government, and encompasses issues such as secure development, identity management, patching processes, and configuration management. The IoT security bill also calls for guidelines in vulnerability reporting for IoT devices in government networks, as well as of those of federal contractors.