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Landmark IoT Security Summit Gathers Industry Cybersecurity Experts and Leaders to Build Cross-Sector Guidelines for Securing Connected Devices
[March 21, 2019]

Landmark IoT Security Summit Gathers Industry Cybersecurity Experts and Leaders to Build Cross-Sector Guidelines for Securing Connected Devices


The Council to Secure the Digital Economy (CSDE), a partnership that represents thousands of companies across the globe that play key roles in the digital economy, today convened 18 major cybersecurity and technology organizations in an unprecedented effort to identify baseline security standards for the rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT) marketplace.

The CSDE, lead by USTelecom (News - Alert) - The Broadband Association and The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and with strategic partner the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), spearheaded the multi-stakeholder workshop in support of the U.S. Departments of Commerce (DOC) and Homeland Security's (DHS) Anti-Botnet Road Map that calls for more extensive government-industry engagement, and more broadly in response to international regulatory activities.

Jonathan Spalter, President and CEO, USTelecom; Jason Oxman, President and CEO, ITI; and Gary Shapiro (News - Alert), President and CEO, CTA; said, "Connected devices are transforming the way we live, work and play, but with this unprecedented connectivity and innovation comes a higher risk of cyberattack and malicious activity. CSDE is confronting this issue head on by coming together - across different industry sectors - to forge consensus around these essential security standards. Our goal: Deliver the power of anytime/anywhere connectivity and the confidence of device security to consumers and IoT users everywhere."

With an estimated 20 billion IoT connected devices in service worldwide by 2020, the cyberattack surface is substantial and growing. By 2021, the global cost of cyber-crimes is expected to reach $6 trillion annually- the equivalent of almost Japan's entire economy, the third largest in the world. In addition to rising costs, the summit aims to help consumers have more peace of mind when connected technologies without fear of threats to their security or privacy.

The CSDE-led group will share its findings with government bodies and international organizations, including the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) teams working on baseline security.

In November, CSDE released the 2018 International Anti-Botnet Guide to help governments and organizations reverse the growing trend of security breaches in connected devices. Coinciding with the report's release, CSDE held an event featuring government officials and industry leaders discussing the need for public and private sector collaboration to effectively combat cybersecurity threats.



The meeting featured keynotes from Christopher C. Krebs, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Evelyn Remaley, Deputy Associate Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Participants in the CSDE IoT security summit included:


  • Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)
  • Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)
  • CableLabs
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Coalition for Cybersecurity Policy and Law
  • CTA
  • CTIA (News - Alert)
  • Internet of Secure Things (IoXT)
  • Internet Society (ISOC) / Online Trust Alliance (OTA)
  • IoTopia
  • ITI
  • Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF)
  • Telecommunications Industry Association (News - Alert) (TIA)
  • UL
  • USTelecom
  • Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC)
  • Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

About the Council to Secure the Digital Economy (CSDE):

CSDE brings together innovative global companies from across the information technology and communications sectors to combat increasingly sophisticated and emerging cyber threats through collaborative actions. USTelecom, ITI and CTA lead the secretariat. For more information visit: www.securingdigitaleconomy.org.

About Consumer Technology Association:

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ is the trade association representing the $398 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES (News - Alert)® - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services. For more information visit: www.CTA.tech.

About ITI:

ITI is the global voice of the tech sector. We advocate for public policies that advance innovation, open markets, and enable the transformational economic, societal, and commercial opportunities that our companies are creating. Our members represent the entire spectrum of technology: from internet companies, to hardware and networking equipment manufacturers, to software developers. ITI's diverse membership and expert staff provide a broad perspective and intelligent insight in confronting the implications and opportunities of policy activities around the world. Visit http://www.itic.org/ to learn more. Follow us on Twitter for the latest ITI news @ITI_TechTweets.

About USTelecom:

USTelecom represents service providers and suppliers for the broadband industry. Its diverse members range from large publicly traded communications corporations to small companies and cooperatives - all providing advanced communications services to urban and rural communities. Visit us at www.ustelecom.org.


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