Korea sets up security plan for Internet of Things

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning on Wednesday unveiled a three-year plan for information security in the coming Internet of Things era that connects all mobile and electronic devices through the Web.

The government also plans to support the development of key technologies as part of its efforts to nurture related industries as the next growth engines. Under the plan, the ministry will offer a set of guidelines to be used for the whole process of production, distribution and maintenance of all IoT services and products.

A certification system will be adopted for the wider use of the guidelines, while an advisory committee, consisting of experts in the field, will be set up to support the plan.

The ministry also plans to pour resources into securing fundamental technologies for IoT security, including information coding, security system operation and privacy protection.

Further, a new R&D center will be set up for companies to test-drive their new technologies.

“In the IoT era, security is not an option, but an essential safety measure,” said Chung Han-geun, the ministry’s information security chief. “This will be the first year to start related efforts.”

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)