SEMI Applauds Findings on Cybersecurity Hardware Adoption in Europe

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To strengthen cybersecurity for semiconductor manufacturing in Europe, the industry must unify behind security standards, support decision-makers in adopting new technologies, and identify new skill sets needed to deploy and manage cybersecurity hardware, SEMI, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, announced. The findings mark the conclusion of a joint industry project on cybersecurity led by Coventry University’s Institute for Future Transport and Cities’ (IFTC) Systems Security Group (SSG) to examine drivers of computer hardware security adoption among businesses and consumers. 

“With hardware security critically important to the semiconductor industry, this project is a great step toward strengthening manufacturing cybersecurity to enable a safe and secure digital life,” said Laith Altimime, president of SEMI Europe. “SEMI welcomes the findings and will address these cybersecurity issues with our members. We thank the SSG research team for its invaluable support and are pleased to have partnered with it on this strategic initiative.”

The project, approved by the U.K. government’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded Discribe (Digital Security by Design Social Science) Hub, sought to identify the highest business costs of deploying cybersecurity solutions and reasons businesses do not implement stronger cybersecurity measures. 

Following are key findings:

• The secure hardware ecosystem welcomes unified standards and common needs. Compliance and standards are main drivers of the adoption of secure hardware.
• Support decision-makers in making adoption decisions. When gauging the costs and benefits of deploying cybersecurity hardware, companies must assess effectiveness at a systemic level.
• Identify new skills sets needed to help drive adoption. Cybersecurity developers must identify overlaps between existing and new skills in order to effectively deploy security solutions. Developers also need sufficient support to leverage new hardware features.

Discribe funded the project in its mission to promote the commercial adoption of security technologies, expand the deployment of cybersecurity and ultimately help protect global economies against cyberattacks.