Subsidy for TU Delft to Detect Infected IoT Devices

The number of connected devices (IoT) is growing rapidly. To allow entrepreneurs and consumers to optimally profit from this, it is essential for these products that they can be used in a secure and trusted manner. That is why TU Delft will start detecting infected IoT-devices in the Netherlands. Producers of these smart devices and consumers are then actively informed regarding the removal of the infection.

This is stated in the progress letter about the Roadmap Digital Secure Hard- and Software that state secretary Mona Keijzer (Economic Affairs and Climate Policy) sent on 24 June. In the Roadmap that was published last year, measurements such as supervision and certificates were stated to move the market to enhance the security level of the IoT. The Netherlands is already taking these measures ahead of structural European and international rules.

Mona Keijzer: “Increasingly more devices, an estimated 30 billion in 2020, are connected to the Internet. Smart thermostats, refrigerators, toys and tv’s: they are attractive to consumers and offer opportunities to entrepreneurs to make more profit. Handling these devices in a secure manner does not come naturally. If you don't, you are at risk or your infected device could be used to obtain data and even money. That is why knowledge institutions, businesses and the government are going to cooperate to improve this.”

Putting infected devices on the map and restoring them

With financial support from the ministry of Economic Affairs, Delft University of Technology is going to detect devices that are not secure or that are already hacked until 2021. They will do so by, for example, putting networks of infected devices on the map, the so-called botnets.

The Digital Trust Centre of the ministry of Economic Affairs will then start the conversation with producers about measurements to make infected devices secure. By sharing information about the infection with Abuse Information Exchange (a Dutch cooperation agreement among Internet providers) they can inform their customers on how to restore their device.

Public campaign about digital security

The ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate starts a government campaign that is based upon the results of the research and the Roadmap Digital Secure Hard- and Software at the end of this year to inform consumers and entrepreneurs how to improve their digital security.

More information in Dutch.