Luxembourg Launches Online Platform, Awareness Campaign re. Securing Connected Devices

The Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information (ANSSI) and CASES Luxembourg (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Services Luxembourg) have announced that they are launching, in partnership with the Syndicat Intercommunal de Gestion Informatique (SIGI), POST Luxembourg and the Representation of the European Commission in Luxembourg, the online platform secure-iot.lu, designed to spread good practices related to the use of connected objects.

The organisations behind this platform maintained that the right behavious was the most effective shield against possible cyberattacks. The secure-iot.lu platform is set to be the tool that provides guidelines to secure the use of connected objects.

Generally, end-users are not well aware of the risks involved in the ever-growing use of connected devices. Thorsten Ries, Head of CyberDefense at POST Luxembourg, explained: “Nowadays, over 35 billion of devices are connected to the Internet worldwide. According to projections, this figure will double by 2025, thanks to the 5G mobile networks that offers a wider available spectrum as well as a higher global bandwidth and allows a massive number of IoT devices to connect to the Internet”.

The scope of the connected devices’ features remains little understood by end-users. However, their growing use, without implementing the relevant security measures, increases the possibilities of security breaches, which provide cybercriminals with the same number of possibilities of intrusions. 

Yves Wengler, President of SIGI, noted: “The SIGI’s member municipalities work with citizens’ data on a daily basis. For SIGI, it is essential to actively take part in this awareness campaign in order to inform our members about the potential risks related to connected devices”.

“Raising awareness among the general public is essential to set the good habits and responses towards those threats”, added Fabien Mathey, Head of CASES Luxembourg.

With a view to encouraging good habits and raising awareness amongst professionals and individuals, CASES and ANSSI, in partnership with SIGI, POST Luxembourg and the Representation of the European Commission in Luxembourg, are launching the secure-iot.lu platform. The aim of such a tool is to highlight the implications of the use of connected devices as well as provide a range of tips and tricks to avoid the related risks. A mass media campaign will further support this launch from 15 March to 15 April 2021.

Divided into categories of connected devices, the platform identifies and details the main risks as well as releases a series of best practices to avoid them. This set of information is applicable to both the general public and professionals from all sectors.

To go further and step-up awareness-raising efforts, the platform provides communication materials to companies and their employees, institutions, professors, teachers and students as well as citizens. The platform's users can download engaging posters with evocative slogans as well as documents gathering good practices that they can share to help raise awareness amongst their communities.

“Connected devices, equipment devices, sensors and networks included, which constitute the Internet of Things, and especially the assurance of their security, will play a key role in the construction of our digital future. The elaboration of recommendations and good practices for the security of connected devices has been an objective of the National Cybersecurity Strategy III", concluded Luc Feller, High Commissioner for National Protection.