Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2018 to Question 179331, for what reason no reference was made in that Answer to any targets the Government has adopted for the uptake of the voluntary code of practice.

As stated in the National Cyber Security Strategy, the target is for the majority of commodity products and services available in the UK in 2021 to be more secure because they have their default security settings enabled by default or have security integrated into their design. We want to make the UK one of the safest places in the world to do business and be online. The Code of Practice is a step in that direction, by clarifying for manufacturers what good practice looks like. The sector is evolving and whilst the market continues to develop, DCMS will be working closely with manufacturers, including those that are looking to create new internet-connected consumer products to ensure that security is built into smart devices by design. Currently, we are seeking to achieve buy-in from manufacturers that cover a significant proportion of the UK.

We also recognise the need for regulation that is based on the Code of Practice, and have already commenced work in this space. More information, including the scope of products likely to be covered, will be available in 2019.