LG Smart TV Platform Certified for Cybersecurity

LG’s webOS has become the first smart TV platform to be cybersecurity-certified by UL, the independent safety testing company.

UL tested LG’s webOS 3.5 Security Manager for malware susceptibility and vulnerabilities, software weaknesses, and security controls designed to help protect users’ private information. The testing is based on the Cybersecurity Assurance Program (UL CAP) announced in the spring of 2016, which uses the new UL 2900 series of standards

The UL 2900-1 standards test application security, information access control via authentication processes, engineer mode hacking protection, and software falsification protection. A press statement issued by LG said UL assessed the effectiveness of each webOS 3.5 security layer by subjecting the TV software to a variety of virtual network penetrations and vulnerability attacks on its applications and system configuration center. The testing covered the most common security vulnerabilities named in the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE/SANS) Top 25 “Most Dangerous Software Errors” list.

Noting that the UL CAP certification provides the foundation for Internet of Things (IoT) networks composed of multiple connected home appliances, LG said it intends to “expand this level of capability” to its ecosystem of smart home, smart home security, and home automation products.

“Our webOS platform was developed with security in mind, and receiving this certification from UL, a trusted name in testing and certification, further validates those efforts,” said Tim Alessi, LG’s head of product marketing. “As more and more consumers embrace smart TVs and their capabilities to connect to other devices, information security is becoming increasingly important.”

In a related matter, LG announced that its webOS 3.5 platform has also been certified for its effective Digital Rights Management capabilities within smart TV applications.

When UL announced the cybersecurity program, Rachna Stegall, director of connected technologies, said: “We’re aiming to support and underpin the innovative, rapidly iterating technologies that make up the Internet of Things (IoT) with a security program. The more devices become interconnected, the greater the potential security risks to products and services across all sectors. The Cybersecurity Assurance Program’s purpose is to help manufacturers, purchasers and end-users, both public and private, mitigate those risks via methodical risk assessments and evaluations.”

The LG certification announcement comes just weeks after Vizio announced a $2.2 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC and New Jersey’s Office of The Attorney General said Vizio installed software to collect viewing data on 11 million smart TVs without consumers’ knowledge or consent.

Once known as Underwriters Laboratories, UL is a 123-year-old independent safety company that has over the decades provided testing, inspection, certification, and validation services for a wide range of everyday products, from the motor-driven phonograph (1907) and black-and-white TV (1939) to the personal computer (1979) and electric cars (2009).

Additional information on UL 2900-1 standards can be found at ulstandards.ul.com.

For more information on LG’s webOS 3.5 platform, visit lg.com.

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