Member companies of the Charter-of-Trust (CoT) alliance have agreed to deliver next-generation products with preset cybersecurity, which will follow a clear security by default philosophy. At present, the partners agree that no uniform regulations govern the issue with many products leave the factory solely dependent on safety systems that do not provide comprehensive protection.

As a first step, the CoT partner companies have defined which security features should be present and activated by default in next-generation products – ranging from strong authentication features to a unique product identity and the requirement that passwords must be changed upon first use.

The CoT partners also believe that no undocumented functionalities or possibilities for remote connection should be part of initial device setup – another aspect that is not yet a general rule today. All these requirements are now being rolled out step by step within the relevant portfolios of the Charter of Trust member companies.

"Cybersecurity is a key ingredient for trust of our customers in all our businesses offering digitally connected products. It is also the basis for sustainable success and the foundation of a strong ecosystem," says Roland Busch, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Managing Board Member of Siemens AG.

At the Munich Security Conference in February 2018, Siemens and eight partners from the industrial sector launched a joint charter for more cybersecurity for the first time. Two years after signing, the Charter of Trust has grown to 17 members, which also include Airbus, Cisco, IBM, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Infineon, among others.