Category Archives: Internet Security

Cyber Security Today Kids clothes site hacked, a new phony email extortion scam and be careful with Internet Explorer – IT World Canada

Kids clothes site hacked, a new phony email extortion scam and be careful with Internet Explorer

Welcome to Cyber Security Today. Its Wednesday January 22nd. Im Howard Solomon, contributing reporter on cyber security for ITWorldCanada.com.

To hear the podcast click on the arrow below:

Childrens apparel maker Hanna Andersson says some people who bought clothes from the website had their names and credit card numbers stolen. The thefts occurred between September 16 and November 11 last year after its online sales platform was hacked. According to a report the attacker was able to place code on the payment page that skimmed off valuable data as it was being entered by customers. Anyone who bought goods during that period is eligible for identity theft protection. They should also watch their monthly payment card statements for suspicious activity.

Theres another phony email extortion scam going around. According to Bleeping Computerthe email message says Your Computer Hacked. It directs recipients to open the attachment to get instructions on how to send the attacker $100. Dont fall for this. The attachment is infected with malware that will steal your passwords and files. Beware of any email with a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment unless you know who sent it and are sure its legit. And remember, hackers may get into the accounts of people you know to send their messages, so even if an email sender address is right the attachment may not be safe.

Encryption is a vital tool to protect businesses and individuals from attack. Scramble data and it becomes useless to theft. Thats why some versions of Windows come with encryption capabilities. You may have heard of Bitlocker, a Windows tool for scrambling entire hard drives. Theres also a Windows tool called EFS, which allows individual folders or files to be encrypted. However, a security firm called SafeBreach warns this capability could also be used by hackers as a form of ransomware by in effect turning Windows against itself. SafeBreach began quietly notifying anti-virus companies months ago and many have updated their product to detect a possible exploitation. Others say they will soon issue an update. Organizations worried about this vulnerability should think about turning EFS off and using other encryption technologies to protect data.

Finally, if you or your organization still uses Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser, be warned there is a serious vulnerability. Microsoft hasnt issued a patch yet. If you are an individual consider switching to Microsoft Edge or another browser. If you are an IT administrator apply a workaround or consider switching the company to another browser.

Thats it for Cyber Security Today. Links to details about these stories can be found in the text version of each podcast at ITWorldCanada.com. Thats where youll also find my news stories aimed at businesses and cyber security professionals. Cyber Security Today can be heard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or add us to your Flash Briefing on your smart speaker. Thanks for listening. Im Howard Solomon

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Cyber Security Today Kids clothes site hacked, a new phony email extortion scam and be careful with Internet Explorer - IT World Canada

Experts write to government on cyber fixes – Economic Times

BENGALURU: Technology policy think tanks and digital freedom advocates have written to the National Security Council Secretariat urging stronger encryption requirements, improved breach disclosure norms and use of open-source software while encouraging free flow of data across borders, as part of suggestions to strengthen cyber security in India.

Last year, the government said it planned to release a new Cybersecurity Strategy to keep up with the changing nature of technologies, platforms and threats. It asked for inputs by January 10 this year, seeking to tackle challenges including data privacy, law enforcement in evolving cyberspace, access to data stored overseas, misuse of social media platforms, international cooperation on cybercrime and cyber terrorism.

Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) said the policy should promote encryption, protect de-centralised internet, encourage robust data breach reporting mechanisms, prohibit the use of malware and reward the community of security researchers. Centre of Internet and Society (CIS) said the government must strengthen legal and technical security standards and allow for cross-border sharing of data by focusing on a solution to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty process.

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Experts write to government on cyber fixes - Economic Times

Internet Security Software Market by Types, Applications, Countries and Forecasts to 2026 – Vital News 24

Global Internet Security Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2019-2027offers a primary overview of the Internet Security Software industry coveringDefinition, Classification, Industry Value, Price, Cost and Gross Profit, Share via Region, New Challenge Feasibility Evaluation, Analysis and Guidelines on New mission Investment. Internet Security Software Market report presents in-intensity insight ofCompany Profile, Capacity, Product Specifications, Production Value, Sales, Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Market Size and Market Sharesfor topmost prime key vendors(Juniper Networks, Inc., Trend Micro Inc., Symantec Corporation, IBM Corporation, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee Inc., Cipher Cloud, CA Technologies, Cisco system Inc., Websense, Inc.( Forcepoint), Fortinet, Inc., Sophos Ltd., Dell, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., SafeNet, Inc., and Cyren Ltd). In the end, there are 4 key segments covered in this Internet Security Software market report: competitor segment, product type segment, end use/application segment and geography segment.

Target Audience of Internet Security Software Market:Suppliers, Channel Partners,Production Companies, Market Consultants,Marketing Authorities, Research Institutions, Subject Matter Experts, Financial Institutions, Government Authorities.

To Get the Concise Sample PDF of the Market Report, Please Visit

Internet Security Software Market Summary:This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million US$) and volume (K sqm). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of Internet Security Software market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.

Internet Security Software Market: Regional Analysis Includes:

Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers (2019 2026)

Do You Have Any Query Or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our IndustryExpert

Internet Security Software Market Capacity, Production, Revenue, Consumption, Export and Import (2019 2026)

Internet Security Software Market Forecast (2019 2026)

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Internet Security Software Market by Types, Applications, Countries and Forecasts to 2026 - Vital News 24

An Open Source Effort to Encrypt the Internet of Things – WIRED

End-to-end encryption is a staple of secure messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal. It ensures that no onenot even the app developercan access your data as it traverses the web. But what if you could bring some version of that protection to increasingly ubiquitous and notoriously insecure internet of things devices?

The Swiss cryptography firm Teserakt is trying just that. Earlier this month, at the Real World Crypto conference in New York, it introduced E4, a sort of cryptographic implant that IoT manufacturers can integrate into their servers. Today most IoT data is encrypted at some point as it moves across the web, but it's challenging to keep that protection consistent for the whole ride. E4 would do most of that work behind the scenes, so that whether companies make home routers, industrial control sensors, or webcams, all the data transmitted between the devices and their manufacturers can be encrypted.

Tech companies already rely on web encryption to keep IoT data secure, so it's not like your big-name fitness tracker is transmitting your health data with no protection. But E4 aims to provide a more comprehensive, open source approach that's tailored to the realities of IoT. Carmakers managing dozens of models and hundreds of thousands of vehicles, or an energy company taking readings from a massive fleet of smart meters, could have more assurance that full encryption protections really extend to every digital layer that data will cross.

"What we have now is a whole lot of different devices in different industries sending and receiving data," says Jean-Philippe Aumasson, Teserakt's CEO. "That data might be software updates, telemetry data, user data, personal data. So it should be protected between the device that produces it and the device that receives it, but technically it's very hard when you don't have the tools. So we wanted to build something that was easy for manufacturers to integrate at the software level."

Being open source is also what gives the Signal Protocol, which underpins Signal and WhatsApp, so much credibility. It means experts can check under the hood for vulnerabilities and flaws. And it enables any developer to adopt the protocol in their product, rather than attempting the fraught and risky task of developing encryption protections from scratch.

"At the end of the day we know that's the right thing to do."

Jean-Philippe Aumasson, Teserakt

Aumasson says that the Signal Protocol itself doesn't literally translate to IoT, which makes sense. Messaging apps involve remote but still direct, human-to-human interaction, whereas populations of embedded devices send data back to a manufacturer or vice versa. IoT needs a scheme that accounts for these "many-to-one" and "one-to-many" data flows. And end-to-end encryption has different privacy goals when it is applied to IoT versus secure messaging. Encrypted chat apps essentially aim to lock out the developer, internet service providers, nation-state spies, and any other snoops. But in the IoT context, manufacturers still have access to their customers' data; the goal instead is to protect the data from other entities and Teserakt itself.

It also only hardens IoT defenses against a specific type of problem. E4 looks to improve defenses for information in transit and offer protection against data interception and manipulation. But just like encrypted chat services can't protect your messages if bad actors have access to your smartphone itself, E4 doesn't protect against a company's servers being compromised or improve security on IoT devices themselves.

"I think it's a good idea, but developers would need to keep in mind that it covers only one part of data protection," says Jatin Kataria, principal scientist at the IoT security firm Red Balloon. "Whats the security architecture of the embedded device itself and the servers that are receiving this data? If those two endpoints are not that secure, then end-to-end encryption will only get you so far."

Teserakt has been consulting with large tech companies in aerospace, health care, agriculture, and the automotive and energy sectors to develop E4 and plans to monetize the tool by charging to customize implementations for their specific infrastructures. The company has not yet open-sourced full server code for E4 alongside the protocol details and cryptography documentation it released, but says that final step will come as soon as the documentation is complete. Given the glacial pace of investment in IoT security overall, you probably shouldn't expect E4 to be protecting the whole industry anytime soon.

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An Open Source Effort to Encrypt the Internet of Things - WIRED

Local News Role of the internet in human trafficking to be highlighted at summit in SLO – KSBY San Luis Obispo News

Experts estimate over 25 million people around the globe are forced into the form of modern day slavery known as human trafficking and thanks to the internet, it's happening on the Central Coast, as well.

Concealed under a cloak of anonymity afforded by the internet, human traffickers make deals with real human lives.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow wrote in a report posted online in 2019 that at least nine cases of human trafficking prosecuted by his office since 2014.

Those cases involved 26 victims of commercial sex or labor trafficking with at least 15 of the victims being minors.

At a 3-day summit that starts Sunday, cyber security experts will consult with local law enforcement about the role of the internet in human trafficking.

"For the most part, a lot of it is taking place online which makes it difficult for law enforcement and first responder agencies to detect that individuals are being trafficked, solicited, groomed, advertised and then exploited online," California Cyber Security Institute Operations Manager Danielle Borrelli said.

Borrelli, who is directing the summit, said San Luis Obispo is an attractive place for traffickers to do business.

"San Luis Obispo is right in between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you've probably heard it's a corridor between those two place," Borrelli said. "It's a realistic situation where you have traffickers transporting individuals between the different massage parlors in order to keep them under control, to keep them confused, and keep the anonymity."

The San Luis Obispo County Anti-human Trafficking Task Force formed in 2014 includes 30 government agencies and private organizations working to stop this problem.

Task force representatives will be on hand coordinating with cyber security experts on ways to pull back the mask on human traffickers.

A survivor of human trafficking is among the many experts serving on a panel at the summit.

The summit lasts from Sunday through Tuesday and takes place at the Cal Poly Multi-Activity Center. The public is welcome to attend.

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Local News Role of the internet in human trafficking to be highlighted at summit in SLO - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

Global Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market | By Component,By Type,By Application Area Dagoretti News – Dagoretti News

Global Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market By Component (Solutions, Services), Type (Network Security, Endpoint Security, Application Security, Cloud Security, Others), Application Area (Smart Manufacturing, Smart Energy and Utilities, Connected Logistics, Smart Home and Consumer Electronics, Connected Healthcare, Smart Government and Defense, Consumer Wearables, Connected Vehicles, Smart Transportation, Smart Retail, Others), Geography(North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2026

Few of the major competitors currently working in the global internet of things (IoT) security market are Cisco Systems, Inc., IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Infineon Technologies AG, Symantec Corporation, Gemalto NV, Allot, Fortinet, Inc., Zingbox, Mocana, SecuriThings, CENTRI Technology, Armis, Inc., ForgeRock, NewSky Security, McAfee, LLC, AT&T Intellectual Property, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., Trustwave Holdings, Inc., Verizon, PTC among others

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Global internet of things (IoT) security market is set to witness a healthy CAGR of 34.10% in the forecast period of 2019 to 2026. The report contains data of the base year 2018 and historic year 2017. This rise in the market can be attributed due to surging demand for enhanced privacy and increasing government efforts to implement stringent regulations to restrict the amount of data collected by IoT devices by industries such as BFSI, retail, and healthcare.

Internet of Things (IoT) connects devices including industrial machinery and consumer items to a network, allowing data gathering and software management of these systems to boost effectiveness and allow new services. IoT helps build smart communications environments including smart shopping, smart housing, smart healthcare, as well as smart transport. WSN, RFID, cloud services, NFC, gateways, data storage & analytics, and visualization elements are the main components of IoT.

Market Drivers:

Market Restraints:

By Component

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Global internet of things (IoT) security market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of internet of things (IoT) security market for global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.

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Data collection and base year analysis is done using data collection modules with large sample sizes. The market data is analyzed and forecasted using market statistical and coherent models. Also market share analysis and key trend analysis are the major success factors in the market report. To know more pleaserequest an analyst callor can drop down your enquiry.

The key research methodology used byDBMR researchteam is data triangulation which involves data mining, analysis of the impact of data variables on the market, and primary (industry expert) validation. Apart from this, other data models include Vendor Positioning Grid, Market Time Line Analysis, Market Overview and Guide, Company Positioning Grid, Company Market Share Analysis, Standards of Measurement, Top to Bottom Analysis and Vendor Share Analysis. To know more about the research methodology, drop in an inquiry to speak to our industry experts.

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Global Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market | By Component,By Type,By Application Area Dagoretti News - Dagoretti News

Internet Security Market to Reap Excessive Revenues by 2026 Dagoretti News – Dagoretti News

The detailed report on market intelligence in theInternet Security marketapplies the best of primary and secondary research to weigh on the competitive landscape and the main market players expected to dominate the Internet Security market for the forecast period, 2019-2026.The study not only analyzes the business profile of key suppliers, but also analyzes their winning strategies to give business owners, stakeholders and field marketing staff a competitive advantage over others operating in the same space.

The main key players in the industry are-IBM Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, McAfee LLC, Trend Micro, Inc., Symantec Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Palo Alto Networks, Inc., Dell EMC, Fortinet, Inc., Sophos Ltd., Rapid7, Inc., CyberArk Software Ltd., Splunk, Inc., and Imperva, Inc.

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1) What does all the regional segmentation cover? Can the country of specific interest be added?Currently, the research report pays particular attention to the following regions:North America (United States, Canada, Mexico), Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, etc.), South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.) and Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, etc.)** A country of specific interest can be included at no additional cost. For the inclusion of more regional segments, quotes may vary.

2) What are all the companies currently described in the report?The report contains the main players currently on this market.** The list of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to change of name / merger, etc.

3) Can we add or profile a new company according to our needs?Yes, we can add or profile a new company according to customer needs in the report. Final confirmation should be provided by the research team depending on the difficulty of the investigation.** The availability of data will be confirmed by research in the case of a private company. Up to 3 players can be added at no additional cost.

4) Is the inclusion of additional segmentation / market possible?Yes, the inclusion of additional segmentation / breakdown of the market is possible depending on the availability of data and the difficulty of the survey. However, a detailed requirement must be shared with our research before giving a final confirmation to the customer.** Depending on needs, delivery time and quote will vary.

* Free country level analysis for any 5 countries of your choice.* Free Competitive analysis of any market players.* Free 40 analyst hours to cover any other data points

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Internet Security Market to Reap Excessive Revenues by 2026 Dagoretti News - Dagoretti News

Security fears saw nearly half of Europe use the internet less during 2018 – The Brussels Times

Thursday, 16 January 2020

Security concerns saw exactly 44% of EU citizens trying to limit their private use of the internet during 2018, results from an information and communications technology survey carried out in the first quarter of 2019 by Eurostat reveal.

When asked about issues related to accessing the internet on any connected device, including desktops, laptops, tablets or smartphones, a total of 44% of EU citizens between the ages of 16 to 74 responded that they had limited their private use of the internet over the previous 12 months, a statement explains.

These limits were directly inspired by security-related concerns, with 24% of interviewees indicating that they had experienced some sort of online security-related problem in the past year.

One in four EU citizens indicated in the survey that they avoided giving personal information to social or professional networking sites on the basis of being concerned about personal security, with 26% indicating that they had experienced phishing related security problems, and 13% indicating the same but in relation to security problems connected to pharming.

Where Belgian interviewees are concerned, 28% of people said they limited the amount of personal information they provided to social or professional networking services- above the European average of 25% of people. A total of 22% of Belgians claim to have experienced phishing-related security problems.

In addition, 19% of EU citizens claimed to have limited their use of public wifi, 17% of people downloaded less music and apps and 16% limited the number of goods and services that they bought online.

Evie McCulloughThe Brussels Times

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Security fears saw nearly half of Europe use the internet less during 2018 - The Brussels Times

How to Secure Your Windows 7 PC in 2020 – How-To Geek

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Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows 7 with security updates. In other words, Windows 7 is now just like Windows XPan older operating system that will gradually accumulate unpatched security holes. Heres how to keep it as secure as possible.

We recommend upgrading to Windows 10. In fact, you can still upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 for free. But, if youre sticking with Windows 7 for now, we have some security tips.

We recommend businesses and other organizations pay for extended security updates if they still use Windows 7. This option isnt available to home users, and the exact price of the updates depends on whether you have Windows 7 Enterprise or Windows 7 Professional.

RELATED: How to Upgrade to Windows 10 From Windows 7 for Free

Even if you need Windows 7 for some reason, you dont have to use it for everything. If you need Windows 7 to interface with a specific hardware device or run a software program that doesnt run on Windows 10, we recommend keeping that Windows 7 computer off your network, if possible.

Malicious websites and other network-based attacks wont be an issue. Your Windows 7 system cant be compromised and turned against other devices on your network. You wont have to worry about security issues if the Windows 7 system is cut off from the dangerous internet.

If you need to run an older software program that doesnt run on Windows 10, it may also be worth upgrading to Windows 10 and running that older application in a Windows 7 virtual machine on your Windows 10 desktop. Bear in mind that most older applications will run just fine on Windows 10, so this shouldnt be necessary for most applications.

We know that many people will continue running Windows 7 and connecting it to the internet. If you are, weve got some security tips for locking things down.

RELATED: Windows 7 Dies Today: Here's What You Need to Know

We recommend running a good antimalware tool that still supports Windows 7. Be sure its actively receiving updates.

Microsoft says it no longer offers downloads its own Microsoft Security Essentials tool, although MSE still seems available for download on Microsofts website. Perhaps Microsoft plans to pull the downloads soon. However, if you have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, it will continue receiving malware signature updates until 2023.

Other security software companies still offer antiviruses that are supported on Windows 7. For example, Lifehacker recommendsBitdefender Free.

Whatever you pick, we also recommend Malwarebytes. The free version of Malwarebytes will let you perform manual scans to remove malware and other junk software from your system, and it also runs on Windows 7.

Microsoft has axed its EMET security tool that helps protect against attacks in favor of the Exploit Protection built into Windows 10. However, anti-exploit software is built into the Premium version of Malwarebytes.

If youre still using Windows 7, you should definitely avoid running Internet Explorer. Even Microsoft has recommended moving off of Internet Explorer to a more modern, secure browser.

With the operating system itself no longer receiving updates, your security software and web browser take on newfound importance in blocking you from threats online.

If youre using Windows 7, you should definitely visit Windows Update and ensure youre up-to-date with all the updates Microsoft released for it. We also recommend having Windows Update automatically check for updates. Microsoft might release especially critical updates for Windows 7 even after the end of support, just as it did for Windows XP.

Keep en eye out for update news, too. Microsoft released an important security update for Windows XP that you had to manually download back in 2019.

The tips for securing your Windows PC are the same as they ever were. Leave important security features like User Account Control and the Windows Firewall enabled.

Avoid clicking strange links in spam emails or other strange messages sent to youthis is especially important considering it will become easier to exploit Windows 7 in the future. Avoid downloading and running strange files.

RELATED: Basic Computer Security: How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Hackers, and Thieves

Windows 7 was released a long time ago, so you may have quite a few applications you dont really need installed. Worse yet, they may be outdated.

For example, old versions of browser plug-ins like Java, Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, and QuickTime are all potentially vulnerable to attack. Go through the list of installed programs in Windows 7s Control Panel and remove any applications you dont use.

Ensure all the applications you use are updated to their latest available versions, too. For example, if you still have an old version of WinRAR installed,you need to update it manually or your PC could be vulnerable to malicious ACE archives.

Theres no silver bullet here. Windows 7 will get more dangerous over time as flaws around found. However, the exact attacks Windows 7 is vulnerable to will depend on what security flaws are found, how serious they are, and how easy they are to exploit.

You can keep using Windows 7 and it will still function normallywith some nag messages. Just keep in mind that Microsoft has washed its hands of patching security holes on your machine. We love Windows 7, but its time has passed.

RELATED: RIP Windows 7: We're Going to Miss You

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How to Secure Your Windows 7 PC in 2020 - How-To Geek

Senate Passes Legislation to Help Boost and Secure the Internet of Things – Nextgov

In 2020, bipartisan legislation aimed at helping strategically pave Americas way to the Internet of Things could (finally) become law.

The Senate late last week passed the Developing and Growing the Internet of Things, or DIGIT Act. Originally introduced in 2016 and again in 2017, the bill was re-upped last year by Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.

With our bipartisan bill now one step closer to becoming law, well be able to realize the full potential of the Internet of Things, and help the private and public sectors work together to produce well-informed policies on connected technology, Schatz said in a statement.

According to Congress estimate in the bill, the Internet of Things will encompass 125 billion connected devices by 2030and could also generate trillions of dollars for U.S. businesses. Through the DIGIT Act, lawmakers mandate the establishment of an interagency working group with representation from the Commerce, Transportation, Homeland Security and Energy departments, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation and many others, to ultimately identify federal barriers that could inhibit IoT deploymentand examine the challenges and opportunities agencies assume when accessing the internet of things. The group will also work with private- and academic-sector experts to help accelerate the governments and nations adoption of IoT technologies.

Further, the bill also directs the Federal Communications Commission to launch a report assessing the spectrum needs that will be required to support the internet of things, within one year of the acts passage.

As connected technology continues to evolve, its critical that Congress and the federal government leverage innovation developed in the private sector, Gardener said. This bill will improve coordination between the federal government and the technology industry and create opportunities for further deployment of secure IoT devices.

Fischer added that she looks forward to the Houses consideration of the bill.

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Senate Passes Legislation to Help Boost and Secure the Internet of Things - Nextgov