The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has put up a tranche of funding worth up to £200,000 for the security testing of office equipment connected to the internet.
It has encouraged relevant organisations to apply for the money to support the testing of smart devices such as printers, cameras and room booking systems to ensure they are properly protected against hackers.
The successful bidder will be expected to help identify if current security measures and guidance, such as the National Cyber Security Centre’s device security principles, are sufficiently robust in the face of evolving threats.
Guidance on the funding emphasises that bidding organisations must be based in the UK and have to use the funding by the end of March 2023.
The grant is part of the government’s £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy and aligns with the objective for the UK to take the lead in technologies to secure the internet of things.
Cyber Minister Julia Lopez MP said: “This research will ensure we have the right measures in place to protect our economy and keep our offices and workers safe from cyber security threats.”
