How Cybersecurity Certifications Can Secure the IoT Industry
Gary Jabara
Improving global cybersecurity certification standards can help IoT industry growth.
The IoT industry requires global cybersecurity certification standards to help fight cybercrime and improve security, says Gary Jabara, founder and chairman of ioXt Alliance. Despite geopolitical obstacles, governments around the world are increasingly committed to adopting and enhancing cybersecurity certification standards to improve global trust and cooperation.
According to Cybersecurity Ventures’ 2022 Cybersecurity AlmanacOpens a new window , cybercrime, if measured as a country, would be the world’s third largest economy; cybercrime costs will reach US$10.5 trillion by 2025, a more than threefold increase from US$3 trillion in 2015, and the number of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices, major components of the cybercrime attack surface, will reach 75 billion by 2025 and 200 billion by 2031. Facing these staggering statistics and predictions, the IoT industry is seeking to build a safer and more secure IoT world.
Cybersecurity Certification Standards Can Help Fight Cybercrime
Cybersecurity certification standards could significantly help improve cybersecurity for everyone, especially in the fast-growing IoT industry. Certification is a qualification and assessment process in which a certification body tests and certifies that a product, service or management system complies with relevant technical specifications or standards. Cybersecurity certification evaluates the security risks of products and services, helps manufacturers and service providers maintain and improve quality, and helps protect consumers and organizations from cybercrimes.
The IoT Industry Requires Global Cybersecurity Standards
A recent studyOpens a new window showed that 70% of IoT devices contain serious vulnerabilities and, with cybercrime continuing to increase each year, there should be international standards for cybersecurity certification in the IoT industry that ensure all products and services are safe and secure for users and businesses.
Global cybersecurity certification development for IoT devices is critical in improving cybersecurity for everyone. This is because it would provide a common global standard and commitment that would enhance trust among nations, a standard mechanism for IoT products and services in the market, and an authoritative and reliable shared standard for security for IoT developers. A common benchmark for cybersecurity certifications is also a clear solution to combat misinformation and reduce overall risk across the IoT market.
According to the 2022 Global IoT Security White PaperOpens a new window , published by ioXt Alliance and Research Center for Cyberspace International Governance, the cybersecurity system framework and standards established by the United Nations (UN), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and other relevant international organizations are an ideal guide for IoT developers and can improve the quality and security of IoT products and services across the globe.
Global cybersecurity standards will help secure the IoT industry for developers and customers. A common global benchmark would also help regulatory authorities strengthen cybersecurity supervision, reduce regulatory costs and help facilitate trade.
Geopolitical Roadblocks in Improving Global Cybersecurity
Global cybersecurity is currently mired in geopolitics, including Sino-U.S. relations. On October 12, the White House released its National Security StrategyOpens a new window that stated that the U.S. would continue to promote adherence to the U.N. General Assembly-endorsed framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, which recognizes that international law applies online, just as it does offline. This appears to be in the right direction the industry is moving in — following global standards set by trusted third-party institutions.
But the White House’s strategy indicates that certain countries threaten national security on the cybersecurity front, which may create more division than bringing nations together to create a strong, common cybersecurity standard that moves the industry forward and creates shared value.
The influence of politics and values also shapes national cybersecurity strategies. The impact of geopolitics on cybersecurity can sometimes hinder the industry’s growth. So, global cybersecurity certification solutions are of great value both for national interests and to improve global trust and cooperation.
Governments’ Desire To Cooperate Across Geographies
Despite geopolitics, governments across the globe fundamentally want to adopt and enhance cybersecurity certification standards, which lays a solid foundation for strengthening international cooperation. Most countries currently do not have a national cybersecurity standard but instead rely on third-party labs whose efforts help improve the overall cybersecurity capabilities of a country.
But over time, there is a high likelihood that most governments will compel, or even enforce, their IoT manufacturers and developers to comply with international cybersecurity certifications. This will translate into a safer global IoT industry that will benefit everyone.
Global Cybersecurity Certification Standards Are Good for Business
With the acceleration of digitalization across societies, cyberspace and data have become the basis for the development of various industries. But there are no universally accepted cybersecurity and data security standards across industries. Business and government leaders also often lack sufficient awareness of security and do not have the knowledge and tools to help improve cybersecurity. A standard certification can quickly enhance the cybersecurity capabilities of businesses and continuously provide them with guidance that follows the best and latest industry practices to improve their efforts.
As an example of international cooperation to improve global cybersecurity, the ioXt Alliance, a leading global certification organization, has been working with many key IoT companies, such as Tuya Smart, to establish a more secure IoT ecosystem around the world. IoXt’s global partnerships will benefit global standard certification and increase customer trust over time.
The Work Itself Is a Catalyst for Collaboration
The work involved in cybersecurity standard certification is highly technical and objective, which can serve as the basis for cybersecurity cooperation among nations.
Efforts in cybersecurity standard certification involve a typical form of multi-stakeholder collaboration among the technical community, the private sector, academia and governments.
The work on standard cybersecurity certification also follows a bottom-up process focusing on problem-solving and best practices, making it invaluable for global cybersecurity cooperation.
Nations Must Join Forces Now To Safeguard Cybersecurity
The international community must regard standardized cybersecurity certification as an important aspect of international rules and trade to help establish order and safety in this fast-moving digital age.
It is essential to incorporate standard cybersecurity certification into multilateral cooperation to help improve global cybersecurity in an enhanced and more efficient manner.
Gary Jabara
Gary Jabara is the founder and chairman of the ioXt Alliance, the global standard for IoT security, backed by the biggest names in technology, manufacturing and retail. Under Jabara’s leadership, ioXt is recognized as the only industry-led, global IoT device security and certification program in the world.
Prior to ioXt, Jabara founded and served as Chairman of Mobilitie, the largest privately-held wireless infrastructure company in the U.S. Jabara previously served as partner at Deloitte Consulting and the firm’s partner-in-charge of wireless strategy and infrastructure. A passionate philanthropist, Jabara proudly supports a number of causes, including City of Hope, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Youth Employment Service (YES), Alzheimer’s Association, and Museum of Tolerance, among others.