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NATIONAL HOME SECURITY MONTH
WHY SECURITY CERTIFICATION MATTERS: THE VALUE OF THE POLICE PREFERRED SPECIFICATION
» ENSURING PRODUCTS ARE FIT FOR purpose is non-negotiable, especially for security. Over the past 36 years, industry standards have evolved significantly, proving that investing in doors, windows, locks, and hardware that meet an appropriate security standard is critically important and worthwhile.
This commitment to high security led to the creation of the Police Preferred Specification- a simple, reliable way for people to quickly identify products that meet the highest standards.
Driving Industry Standards with Secured by Design( SBD)
In its early days, Secured by Design( SBD) engaged with manufacturers to tackle inconsistencies in product security. By driving market demand for safer products, SBD catalysed the creation of specialised test houses and certification bodies. This effort not only raised awareness about the importance of security across the construction industry but also helped reduce the overall cost of secure doorsets and windows.
Today, a rigorous process is in place: products like doors and windows must be certified by a UKAS( United Kingdom Accreditation Service) certification body before they can even be considered for SBD’ s Police Preferred Specification.
Your Assurance of Security The SBD accreditation scheme, operating on behalf of the UK Police Service, provides the recognised standard for all security products. It ensures that products are robust enough to resist physical attacks by casual and opportunistic burglars.
This accreditation is the only way for companies to obtain official police recognition for security-related products in the UK.
SBD focuses on the critical factors that guarantee a product’ s performance:
• Design and use
• Quality control
• The ability to deter or prevent crime Furthermore, the Police Preferred
Specification requires regular retesting and annual inspection of the manufacturing facility. This maintains quality and performance, provides assurance that products are made in a controlled environment, and minimises the risk of misrepresentation, ensuring a genuinely more secure product is delivered on-site.
Currently, over 700 companies with more than 7,000 individual products- mostly in the door, window and hardware sectors- have achieved SBD accreditation and use the SBD logo to prove their security credentials.
Secure Your Smart Products: Compliance and Consumer Trust
The rise of IoT connected products( like smart locks) offers great benefits but introduces significant cyber risks, including data loss and privacy breaches. Until recently, these products lacked regulation for cyber security, leading to a false sense of security for consumers.
To close this gap, the UK enacted the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, requiring manufacturers to meet minimum security standards by April 29, 2024. Non-compliance is serious, carrying stiff penalties of up to £ 10 million or 4 % of global revenue.
To ensure full compliance and build trust, SBD’ s Secure Connected Device accreditation helps companies assess products against the robust ETSI EN 303 645 global standard- a level that goes beyond the government’ s minimum. This accreditation is the only way to gain police recognition for your IoT product’ s security in the UK, demonstrating leadership and safeguarding customers from cyber threats.
The Clear Benefits of SBD Membership
Companies are seeing huge returns on their investment in SBD membership. The police service actively directs customers looking for proven security products to the SBD website, resulting in:
• Significant growth in demand for advice and product details
• Increased traffic to the SBD website
• Reported increased sales for SBD members’ products
The police service signposts customers to www. securedbydesign. com, where they can find a comprehensive list of the 700 SBDaccredited companies. Each company has a dedicated page with contact information and a detailed list of all their SBD Police Preferred Specification products.
These are the very products that Police Designing Out Crime Officers recommend daily to developers. For over 36 years, SBD member products have been highlighted for the significant role they play in crime prevention and keeping communities safe.
Exclusive Opportunity: The ATLAS Conference
Every year since the mid-1990s, SBD has hosted the ATLAS conference and exhibition for the Designing Out Crime Officers and Crime Prevention Officers across the country who implement SBD at a local level.
This premier policing event offers SBD member companies an exclusive opportunity to interact directly with these influential officers, introduce them to new products and innovations, and promote their organisation.
www. securedbydesign. com
OCTOBER 2025
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