A bipartisan group of Senators wants to make it more difficult for hackers to enlist smart thermostats, wireless security cameras and other connected devices in future cyberattacks.

ZDNet reports that Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) have introduced legislation that would require suppliers of devices to the federal government to ensure connected items such as wearables and smart sensors can be patched with security fixes. The bill would also prohibit the use of hard-coded usernames and passwords, which are considered one of the primary paths malware use to hijack smart devices. In addition, the legislation offers new legal protections to cyber security experts testing connected devices’ digital defenses.

The growing universe of poorly secured smart devices, often referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), was blamed for last years’ distributed denial of service attack that temporarily took down services such as Twitter, Netflix and Spotify. Click here to read the legislation.

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