From Christmas Gifts to Cyber Risks: Hub Senior Advisor calls for Security by Design for IoT

The Tech and Global Affairs Innovation Hub is pleased to announce the publication of a new op-ed by Senior Advisor Constance de Leusse and Cryptography Specialist Alexander Camacho from INCERT Luxembourg .

Christmas 2025 saw millions of connected devices—smartwatches, interactive toys, home cameras, smart speakers—placed under the Christmas tree and enter households with minimal security guarantees. As these devices increasingly monitor our movements, record our voices, film our homes, and track our health, their vulnerabilities pose real risks: a poorly secured baby monitor or toy can become an entry point for malicious actors to access sensitive personal data or recruit devices into large-scale botnet attacks.

In this new op-ed published in the Journal du Net on January 14, 2026, Constance de Leusse and Alexander Camacho make a compelling case for transforming cybersecurity from an afterthought into a fundamental requirement for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. They emphasize that technical solutions already exist and are becoming standards in mature sectors like energy, industry, and automotive. The challenge lies in their inconsistent application, particularly for consumer products where cost pressures lead to weak password management, lack of software update or security verification, as well as a culture of excessive data collection. They argue that Europe's regulatory framework—including the Cyber Resilience Act and technical standards promoted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute—represents a historic opportunity to establish baseline security requirements protecting every consumer from cyberthreats. Their call to action is clear: in 2026, families should no longer have to choose between innovation and safety. Connecting devices is not enough—we must protect them by design.

Read the full op-ed (in French) on the Journal du Net.