KT announced on the 26th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) on "improving security capabilities of home IoT small and medium-sized partner companies" at the Startup Campus in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The MOU signing took place at KISA's IoT Innovation Center, which handles IoT-related operations.

Hacking concerns regarding home Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as home cameras are increasing. In response, KT has joined hands with an IoT security specialized institution to enhance the security capabilities of small and medium-sized partners in the home IoT sector.

Under this MOU, KT and KISA agreed to mutually cooperate on "conducting security tests for KT home IoT devices," "providing education to raise home IoT security awareness," and "exchanging home IoT security technology information" to improve the security capabilities and strengthen security awareness of KT partners.

KISA opened an IoT security testbed in 2015 and is currently providing test environments for smart homes, home appliances, automobiles, factories, and other sectors. Additionally, it is supporting education programs and consulting related to IoT security. As KT collaborates with KISA, which possesses capabilities in IoT security, it is expected to provide customers with safer IoT products and services.

For home IoT devices to have strong security, small and medium-sized partner companies that manufacture products must have the capability to implement security management from the product design stage itself. Moreover, as the government is advancing enhanced security compliance for home IoT devices to revitalize the IoT industry, the collaboration between KT and KISA is expected to provide substantial assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Jo Yun-hong, head of KISA's Information Security Industry Division, stated, "Recently, hacking incidents on home IoT devices, such as IP camera hacking, have been occurring," adding, "We will actively cooperate so that small and medium-sized enterprises, which lack technology and funding, can enhance their home IoT security capabilities by leveraging KISA's IoT security expertise."