Consumer Reports has announced it is to launch the first phase of a
collaborative effort to set up a new standard for digital security for
consumers, in an attempt to boost consumer confidence in privacy and data
security.
The new initiative will aim to bring out the
positive aspects of previous similar schemes, and will be carried out in
conjunction with several partners within the industry.
Safeguarding the security and privacy of consumers
will be the end goal of the new measures.
The US-based nonprofit organization hopeful that
the industry will adopt the standard in the development of various digital
products, including connected devices, software and mobile apps.
The aims of the new standard include ensuring all
products, whether they are laptops, security cameras or even cars, are built
with the robustness needed to withstand security threats.
The standard will also aim to inform consumers
about what data is being collected by their products, while at the same time
offering more clarity when it comes to the idea of ownership.
Ethical behavior is another central theme to
Consumer Reports goals, with transparency being touted as a key element for
ensuring customer satisfaction and enhancing confidence among consumers.
The first draft of the proposal has been placed on GitHub,
a website that holds tremendous popularity with many software developers.
Consumer Reports hopes that concerned parties will
make necessary contributions that will help to refine and improve the standard.
The success of the measures remains to be seen, but
protecting data in the age of connected products is still a pressing concern
within the industry.
The beginning of the month saw the range of CloudPet toys criticized for an alleged
inability to keep personal and private pieces of data away from the threat of
cybercriminals.