U.K. bans generic passwords over cybersecurity concerns. Should Canada be next?

The United Kingdom has introduced a new law that bans generic passwords on smart devices in order to protect consumers from cyber attacks.

Experts say Canada should adopt similar measures, as the pressing issue of cybersecurity continues to grow.

The new law officially came into effect on Monday with the purpose of protecting consumers from increasingly sophisticated hackers and cyber criminals. The law requires manufacturers to adopt minimum security standards to prevent hackers from accessing devices with internet connectivity such as smartphones, game consoles and connected fridges, a press release from the U.K. government says.

Under the new law, manufacturers are banned from allowing “weak, easily guessable default passwords like ‘admin’ or ‘12345,’” the release says.

It adds that besides boosting the U.K.’s resilience against cyber threats, the new measures will also help consumers’ confidence in buying and using smart products, which will in turn help grow the country’s economy.

“Today marks a new era where consumers can have greater confidence that their smart devices, such as phones and broadband routers, are shielded from cyber threats, and the integrity of personal privacy, data and finances better protected,” U.K.’s data and digital infrastructure minister Julia Lopez says in the release.

The U.K. is the first country in the world to introduce a law that requires manufacturers to protect consumers from being exploited by hackers and cyber attacks.

Cyber security experts say Canada should take similar measures. Dan Kagan, senior vice president of identity management company Okta, says passwords are “outdated” and leave Canadians vulnerable to cyber threats.

“(Humans) are the weak links because we’re creatures of