Security News > 2020 > March > Senator Urges Vendors to Secure Networking Devices Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner this week sent letters to six Internet networking device vendors urging them to ensure that their products remain secure during the COVID-19 social distancing efforts.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many to isolate themselves at home to help stop the virus spread, which resulted in a significant increase in the use of Internet networking devices for remote work, health, and education purposes.
With the COVID-19 outbreak still spreading, workplaces, schools, and businesses shut their doors and people are increasingly relying on home networks and personal devices for connectivity, but the lack of proper cybersecurity measures means that these devices become a risk to larger workplace systems, opening the door for compromise.
In the letters, Sen. Warner also pointed to the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act, the bipartisan bill he introduced last year, aimed at improving the cybersecurity of IoT devices and ensuring that technology vendors maintain coordinated vulnerability programs.
"Sen. Warner hits the nail precisely on the head - IoT manufacturers and wifi/telecom vendors need to make a much greater effort to ensure their devices and networks are secure," Terry Dunlap, a former NSA offensive cyber operator and co-founder and chief strategy officer of ReFirm Labs, told SecurityWeek.