Home / News

UK First Country to Implement Cybersecurity Laws for Smart Devices, Including Banning Easily Guessable Default Passwords

Today UK’s new consumer protection laws against hacking and cyber-attacks officially take effect. This legislation, a global first, mandates that all internet-connected smart devices—from smartphones and game consoles to connected refrigerators—meet stringent security standards.

Key elements of the new regulations include the prohibition of weak, easily guessable default passwords such as ‘admin’ or ‘12345’. Upon setup, devices with common passwords will prompt users to create a stronger, unique one. This measure aims to prevent cyber-attacks similar to the 2016 Mirai attack, which compromised 300,000 devices and disrupted internet service across the US East Coast.

The introduction of these laws is expected to enhance the UK’s cybersecurity resilience significantly. With statistics indicating that 99% of UK adults own a smart device and an average household possesses nine connected devices, the potential for cyber threats is extensive. A report by Which? revealed that smart homes could be vulnerable to over 12,000 hacking attempts globally in just one week.

This legislative move is part of the UK’s broader National Cyber Strategy and aligns with the government’s commitment to establishing the UK as the safest place online globally. The initiative not only aims to protect individual consumers but also supports the overall economic growth by fostering a safer digital environment.

BLACK FRIDAY DISCOUNT - CircleID x NordVPN
Get NordVPN  [74% +3 extra months, from $2.99/month]
By CircleID Reporter

CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.

Visit Page

Filed Under

Comments

Comment Title:

  Notify me of follow-up comments

We encourage you to post comments and engage in discussions that advance this post through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can report it using the link at the end of each comment. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of CircleID. For more information on our comment policy, see Codes of Conduct.

CircleID Newsletter The Weekly Wrap

More and more professionals are choosing to publish critical posts on CircleID from all corners of the Internet industry. If you find it hard to keep up daily, consider subscribing to our weekly digest. We will provide you a convenient summary report once a week sent directly to your inbox. It's a quick and easy read.

Related

Topics

New TLDs

Sponsored byRadix

Domain Names

Sponsored byVerisign

Cybersecurity

Sponsored byVerisign

DNS

Sponsored byDNIB.com

Brand Protection

Sponsored byCSC

Threat Intelligence

Sponsored byWhoisXML API

IPv4 Markets

Sponsored byIPv4.Global