Understanding the scope of the CRA is the next critical step. It’s vital to grasp how products with digital elements (PDEs) fall under the CRA, the specific categories of software and hardware impacted, and key sectors that remain excluded from these regulations.
The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) focuses on ensuring that products with digital elements (PDEs) meet stringent cybersecurity standards throughout their lifecycle. PDEs encompass a wide range of hardware and software devices that connect to the internet or other networks and can be updated remotely. These products are required to maintain security, integrity, and transparency, ensuring that vulnerabilities are addressed and products are continuously monitored for risks.
PDEs include any product that contains software or relies on digital infrastructure, such as smart devices, IoT systems, embedded software, and equipment with cloud connectivity. The CRA mandates that manufacturers implement processes to secure these products throughout the entire lifecycle, for example, during development, distribution, and post-market. The requirements are deeper than simply securing the software itself; manufacturers must go further and guarantee they distribute updates safely, address vulnerabilities promptly, and provide transparency across the entire product lifecycle.
The CRA impacts a broad spectrum of software and hardware-software combinations, including:
The CRA’s broad scope means that nearly every connected product must be compliant, and manufacturers need to ensure their devices are equipped to handle secure updates and protect users from potential cyber threats.
While the CRA takes a horizontal approach to cover all PDEs under market activity, specific sectors remain excluded from these regulations due to their unique nature or pre-existing regulatory oversight. These include:
Apart from these exceptions, all other commercial PDEs are regulated, and noncompliance will be heavily penalized.
The Cyber Resilience Act upholds horizontal requirements across products with digital elements (PDEs) to bolster cybersecurity and protect consumers and data in the connected digital ecosystem. For manufacturers that fail to comply, the CRA imposes strict penalties that can fully remove products from the market in the European Union; because of these consequences, noncompliance is out of the question.
Proactive strategies are key to navigating these challenges to maintain compliance in the wake of CRA. Ensuring seamless, secure updates and ongoing vulnerability management is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it’s about protecting the integrity of products and the safety of end users. To ensure security and maintain focus on growth, partnering with Mender, the best-in-class OTA solution, offers scalable security while navigating the CRA.
Mender’s OTA solution provides the comprehensive, secure, and scalable infrastructure necessary to confidently meet CRA compliance. With real-time patch management, continuous vulnerability tracking, segregated network support, and robust auditing capabilities, Mender ensures your product lifecycle is managed securely from development to deployment and beyond. Manufacturers can simplify CRA compliance by partnering with Mender while focusing on innovation, customer security, and long-term success.