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ETSI offers a novel approach to standards education
ETSI has released a new set of classroom teaching materials on ICT standardization. A comprehensive textbook, “Understanding ICT Standardization: Principles and Practice”, together with an extensive slide pack have been developed with the support of the European Commission and the EFTA Secretariat.
Standardization has become a key business process in the ICT industry. Most standards professionals have acquired their technical knowledge through education, training and life-long learning. But it is unlikely they received much formal education or training in standardization. Generally, third-level students in science and engineering courses have limited exposure to the world of standards, beyond studying or working with specific technical specifications.
The new materials from ETSI will help remedy this situation. They follow a modular design to enable students to focus on the aspects which most concern them. Topics covered include:
- Standardization basics
- The standards ecosystem
- The production of standards
- Standardization and innovation
- Standardization and strategy
- A business perspective: Standardization and intellectual property rights (IPR)
- The economic benefits of standards
ETSI released first global consumer IoT security standard
The ETSI Technical Committee on Cybersecurity (TC CYBER) has released the first globally applicable cyber security standard for consumer Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The standards, ETSI TS 103 645, establishes a security baseline for internet-connected consumer products and provide a basis for future IoT certification schemes.
As more devices in the home connect to the internet, the cyber security of IoT is becoming a growing concern. ETSI’s new specification, TS 103 645, addresses this issue and specifies high-level provisions for the security of internet-connected consumer devices and their associated services.
The standard requires implementers to forgo the use of universal default passwords, which have been the source of many security issues. It also requires implementation of a vulnerability disclosure policy to allow security researchers and others to report security issues. As many IoT devices and services process and store personal data, this specification can help ensure that these are compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
ETSI released new specification to secure sensitive data in the cloud
ETSI's Technical Committee on Cybersecurity (TC CYBER) has released a new specification to help secure sensitive data in virtualized environments. ETSI TS 103 457 tackles the challenge of secure storage - where organizations need to protect customer data when using a cloud that is not under their direct control.
The new specification TS 103 457 standardizes an interface between a "secure vault" that is trusted and a cloud that could be anywhere, where such sensitive data is stored in the vault. This allows a sensitive function to exist in a lower security environment, with data held securely. The interface can also be used to search databases that hold private data. Another feature defined in the specification is a logging function that allows queries of customer data to be audited, making it easier to detect data breaches, which in turn deters malicious activity.
New Intelligent transport rules adopted in Europe
The European Commission has adopted new rules stepping up the deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) on Europe’s roads.
The new technology will allow vehicles to ‘talk' to each other, to the road infrastructure, and to other road users – for instance about dangerous situations, road works and the timing of traffic lights, making road transport safer, cleaner and more efficient. The new rules are in line with the proposals on clean mobility introduced by the Juncker Commission, are a further step for modernising the European mobility sector, preparing it for climate neutrality in the second half of the century and contributing to the EU's long-term goal of moving close to zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 ("Vision Zero").