To tackle the challenges of launching products on the Internet of Things, the FTC recommends designing security into interconnected products from the outset as well as monitoring products post sale to quickly identify security risks. Most consumer product companies already have similar programs in place to ensure the safety of the products and meet CPSC reporting and compliance requirements. Whether designing for safety or security, regulators expect design engineers to play a central role in an overall program that operationalizes safety and security as part of ordinary business processes. Both the CPSC and FTC demand engineering solutions for legal compliance and ask companies to build multiple layers of safety and security into a product by design.
Protecting against cybersecurity risks and safeguarding data collected by products on the Internet of Things needs to become business as usual, not some special new legal requirement. Existing corporate process development programs built to ensure a continuous improvement loop in product design need to be updated to ensure that safety, security and privacy are built into every product on the Internet of Things. For more on the FTC’s recommendations for products on the Internet of Things read their report released today.
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