Bipartisan legislation intended to improve the cybersecurity of “internet of things” devices was introduced Monday in Congress.
The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 would require devices purchased by the U.S. government to meet certain minimum requirements, according to a statement issued by co-sponsor Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va.
The bill’s other sponsors are Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Maggie Hassan, D-Mont.; and Reps. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Will Hurd, R-Texas.
S. 734 has been referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
Sen. Warner said in a statement, “While I’m excited about their life-changing potential, I’m also concerned that many IoT devices are being sold without appropriate safeguards and protections in place, with the device market prioritizing convenience and price over security.”
Sen. Warner said, “This legislation will use the purchasing power of the federal government to establish some minimum security standards for IoT devices.”
Observers note that previous versions of this legislation that were introduced in 2017 and 2018 have failed.
Under provisions of the bill, according to the statement:
The statement said internet-connected devices are expected to total more than 20 billion by 2020.
A report issued last year by U.S.-based research firm Ponemon Institute LLC and the Shared Assessments Program found that 97% of risk professionals believe businesses could face a significant cyberattack due to unsecured Internet-of-things devices.
A report by U.S.-based research firm Ponemon Institute L.L.C. and the Shared Assessments Program found that 97% of risk professionals believe businesses could face a significant cyber attack due to unsecured Internet-of-things devices, Gigabit reported. The report found that the number of IoT devices in the workplace is expected to increase 56% to 24,762 this year from 15,874 in 2017. A report by U.S.-based research firm Gartner Inc. found that 20% of organizations experienced one or more IoT hacks within the past three years.