The TÜV Association is generally calling for a “new security architecture for the digitally networked industry”. Even where individual machines, systems, and devices can be deemed secure in their own right, connecting them in the Internet of Things (IoT) could render them highly vulnerable. The law, however, has not yet found an answer to this. TÜV wants product security in future to cover not just materials, but also digital security. It also wants non-proprietary testing and monitoring organizations to be involved where there is a risk to users’ health. This would mean they would need unrestricted access to relevant control technology and the pertinent software.

In many companies, however, IoT security is still not even on the agenda. This is at least the finding of a survey conducted by Trend Micro, according to which just 14% of the 1,150 IT and security managers surveyed in a number of countries stated that their company is fully aware of IoT-related threats.