The Cybersecurity Label tells customers considering to purchase a smart device that the manufacturer has paid special attention to the information security of the product and service in question.
What does the Cybersecurity Label guarantee?
The Cybersecurity Label has been created to help you make secure choices. The label shows that the product or service meets the information security requirements set by the National Cyber Security Centre Finland (NCSC-FI) at the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. In other words, an official and independent party has examined its information security features on your behalf. A product or service that has been granted the Cybersecurity Label is designed to protect the user and their data from the most common threats on the internet. It comes with the manufacturer’s instructions on secure use, and information is also available on the technical features and protection methods used to ensure information security.
Not even the best information security is foolproof, and it is impossible to protect against all attacks. However, most data breaches happen due to negligence of basic issues in the design and use of a product or service. Tackling these issues eliminates most of these security shortcomings and the damage they may cause.
Checklist for the safe use of smart devices
We have drawn up a list of ways for you to improve the information security of your devices. These simple steps have a big impact:
- When you start using a new device or service, make sure you use a sufficiently strong password. Use a different password for each service.
Read more: The longer the better — How to create a strong password (External link) - Never skip software updates. Update releases include important security updates.
- Old products may involve information security risks if security updates are no longer provided for them. Check the life cycle of your old product on the manufacturer’s website.
- Choose a product with a cybersecurity certificate, if possible. Cybersecurity certification schemes are becoming more widely used, and more and more products with certificates are available on the market.
New products through international collaboration
The cybersecurity authorities of Finland and Singapore mutually recognise the cybersecurity labels issued by each other. Both labels are based on the same standard. International cooperation in the design of cybersecurity labelling schemes and their certification criteria helps increase the importance and significance of the labels. Cybersecurity labelling schemes that take into account international standards stand comparison with other schemes and contribute to increased investments in information security. Traficom’s Cybersecurity Label website includes a list of some of the products that have been certified in Singapore. The website of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) includes more products that are also worth a look.
Read more about products with a cybersecurity label in Singapore (External link)
Not all certification schemes include an information security inspection equivalent to the one required for the Finnish Cybersecurity Label. Therefore, it is enlightening to learn about the criteria used by others.