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SINGAPORE – A new labeling scheme to indicate cybersecurity levels for household appliances has been launched in Singapore, with plans for the standards to be adopted internationally.
The Cybersecurity Labeling Scheme (CLS) will be similar to energy labels, with a tiered reference to levels of security that can guide consumers to make informed decisions.
The voluntary plan was launched on Wednesday (October 7) at the 5th Asean Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity in Marina Bay Sands.
At the event, Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran said the scheme would strengthen cyber security around Singapore’s Internet of Things (IoT) and could raise global security standards for IoT devices.
IoT refers to physical devices that are linked to each other and to the Internet.
“The scheme is the first of its kind in Asia-Pacific. It establishes cyber security classification levels for registered smart devices, such as home routers and smart home hubs.
“Manufacturers of IoT devices can voluntarily apply for the CLS,” said Iswaran, who is also the minister in charge of Cybersecurity.
The Singapore Cyber Security Agency (CSA) will administer the label, which was first introduced earlier this year.
The agency is waiving application fees for the first year to encourage adoption.
Mr Iswaran said that the Government intends to use the label to raise product safety standards not only in Singapore, but also internationally.
“With labels, consumers can easily assess the security level of each device and make informed purchasing decisions,” he said.
“CSA plans to work with Asean member states and other international partners to establish mutual recognition agreements for CLS, to improve the security standards of the global IoT device market.”
From smart speakers to high-tech light bulbs to robot vacuum cleaners, IoT devices are expected to grow in popularity.
Market research firm Gartner had estimated that IoT devices in use will grow from 8.4 billion globally in 2017 to 20.4 billion this year, with twice the number of consumer facilities as industrial facilities.
But the rules surrounding how IoT devices are designed with cybersecurity in mind are lax, raising concerns about top privacy and security risks as such IoT devices proliferate.
Singapore’s cybersecurity labeling scheme follows the European Union standard for IoT devices, which spells out minimum standards for manufacturers, including having no default passwords and ensuring there are regular over-the-air software updates without user supervision.
The Republic is among the first group of countries to adopt such a standard.
The tagging scheme was launched during the fifth Singapore International Cyber Week.
There are four levels, each represented by an asterisk. To pass the standards of the first two levels, manufacturers must submit a declaration of compliance with supporting evidence.
For the upper two levels, they must submit an evaluation report by a CSA approved laboratory.
The agency began accepting applications for the label starting Wednesday.
The CLS will be valid for the period of time that the device supports security updates, up to a maximum of 3 years.
“To begin with, CSA will introduce CLS in Wi-Fi routers and smart home hubs. These products are prioritized due to their wider use, as well as the impact that a product engagement could have on users,” the CSA said. .
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