Ursula von der Leyen, the EU European Commission’s head, has delivered her state of the union speech, where she has proposed legislation to introduce cybersecurity standards for electronic devices that can be connected to the internet, Belgian news portal EurActiv reports.
The speech took place in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday, September 15. The European Commission President reasoned that the rapid spread of digital technologies «has been a great equaliser in the way power can be used today by rogue states or non-state groups» to disrupt critical infrastructures such as public administration and hospitals in EU member states.
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The proposal of the EU executive body complements to an existing proposal for a Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems. The latter seeks to expand the scope of the previous directive, by raising the cyber security requirements for digital services employed in critical sectors of the economy and society.
MEP Bart Groothuis explained the need for additional regulation in the sector. «The internet of things will bring about a great deal of unsecured products, because security is often not on top of the mind of the producers of such machines. And there is no European standard yet to be upheld. It’s nice to have a pulled pork machine in your kitchen, or a smart coffee machine, but it is also a way hackers can enter your home IT systems,» Groothuis said to EurActiv news portal.
European Commission proposes smart device security regulation
