The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) announced it is leading an initiative to develop a security, privacy and sustainability trust framework for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
With an initial focus on connected home and wearable/fitness technologies, OTA's vision is to use the framework as the basis for a potential certification program for IoT devices and their applications. The ultimate goal is to help consumers confidently make purchases of IoT devices, provide guidance to manufacturers and developers, and provide retailers with criteria to aid in their product merchandising.
"With the rapid introduction of Internet of Things products into the market, we must ensure that security and privacy best practices are integrated to maximize consumer protection," said Craig Spiezle, Executive Director and President of OTA. "According to preliminary data from OTA's forthcoming Online Trust Audit, 14 percent of leading IoT products did not have a discoverable privacy policy for consumers to review prior to purchase. We welcome industry leaders to join in the multi-stakeholder effort to raise the bar and make security, privacy and sustainability key product attributes."
