UL, a global safety science company, has launched its SafeCyber Digital Security Platform, a suite of solutions designed to provide cybersecurity for connected devices. Intended for device manufacturers, suppliers, and systems integrators, UL’s SafeCyber Digital Security Platform was created to mitigate the growing volume of cybersecurity threats facing these organizations.
The use of connected devices is expected to swell from 8.74 billion devices in 2020 to more than 25.4 billion by 2030, according to a report from Statista. Amid that uptick in connectivity, organizations are facing a rash of new cybersecurity threats—a recent study revealed that supply chain attacks rose by 42% in the first quarter of 2021 via 27 third-party vendors. Coupled with a fast-moving and complex global regulatory landscape, organizations need a comprehensive but streamlined solution to assess their overall cybersecurity posture and risk, according to the company.
“The proliferation of connected devices has unlocked immense new economic potential, but it has also introduced a flurry of cybersecurity risks that can materially impact businesses,” says Jukka Makinen, managing director of the identity management and security division at UL. “SafeCyber helps organizations holistically understand and assess risk, allowing both new and existing assets to be designed and maintained to conform with the latest cybersecurity legislation and best practices.”
In addition to its new platform, UL formally has introduced the Maturity Path capability, a solution that provides device manufacturers, suppliers, and system integrators with a maturity assessment for connected device security to build sustainable product security governance and processes.
UL also offers Firmware Check and Field Monitoring capabilities within the SafeCyber platform. Firmware Check will provide stakeholders with a security check on firmware implementations currently under development, while Field Monitoring will enable those organizations to perform security checks on firmware already in the field at scale. These capabilities will deliver detailed reporting on issues that could impact firmware security, such as software composition analysis and software bill of materials, known and common vulnerabilities and exposures, unknown vulnerabilities (zero-day vulnerabilities), and compliance analysis against supported standards and guidelines, including UL’s IoT Security Rating Program, ETSI 303 645, ISO 21434, and IEC 62443 4-2.
Collectively, these capabilities will allow UL’s customers to manage cybersecurity governance and processes for all product lines in one integrated solution, according to the company. The platform will also help speed up firmware development turnaround times while addressing vulnerabilities to help ensure security and compliance readiness from the start.
“For more than 125 years, UL has been a trusted partner helping organizations ensure the safety and compliance of their products and solutions,” Makinen says. “Today’s launch of SafeCyber marks an important milestone in our long-term vision to develop a best-in-class capability that helps organizations move beyond a compliance mindset and toward a proactive stance that enables them to actively manage their security posture in what is becoming an increasingly connected, ever-evolving threat landscape.”
UL’s Maturity Path, along with Firmware Check and Field Monitoring, are now available to SafeCyber customers. In addition, any connected device stakeholder can start a complimentary Maturity Path self-assessment.
Featured image: UL, a global safety science company, has launched its SafeCyber Digital Security Platform, a suite of solutions designed to provide cybersecurity for connected devices.
