In our hyperconnected world, information
communication technology pervades all
areas of our lives. Virtually everything we
do and touch leaves in its wake a trail of
data that doubles in quantity almost every
two years1).
1) “ 9 Technology Mega Trends That Will Change The World In 2018 ”, by Bernard Marr – forbes.com
The base of connected devices is predicted to hit 75 billion by
20252) and cyber-attacks are now said to be the third-largest
threat after natural disasters and extreme weather events3).
International Standards help organizations make sense of
information communication technology (ICT), providing internationally
agreed tools and ways of doing things that allow
interoperability, security and innovation to flourish.
Why do we need standards for ICT ?
A fundamental element in the power and growth of ICT is the ability
of component parts from different manufacturers to “ talk to each
other ” using a common language that is universally accepted.
International Standards are key to this interoperability as they
lay down the specifications and requirements of the many parts,
products and systems that make up this complex industry.
International Standards by the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) bring together the world’s leading
experts in each field to establish the most effective ways of doing
things, thus representing global best practice. The ISO/IEC Joint
Technical Committee for Information Technology (JTC 1) is one
of the largest and most prolific technical committees in international
standardization. With over three thousand published
standards developed under the umbrella of the committee and its
22 subcommittees, JTC 1 makes a huge impact on the ICT industry
worldwide.
2) IHS Technology, IoT platforms : enabling the Internet of Things, March 2016
3) Cisco News, “ Top 10 Trends for ICT in 2018 ”, January 2018
IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 1
Regulators
Regulators can rely on ISO/IEC standards for
ICT to provide internationally harmonized
solutions that are continually reviewed and
improved. They establish a solid technical
base that governments can use to write
and implement ICT-related policy, and help
develop technologies that directly benefit
them on issues such as identity management
and information security.
Who benefits from IEC
and ISO standards for ICT ?
Industry
Almost every organization that uses ICT systems
or products can benefit from ISO/IEC standards,
which cover an extensive range of fields from
security of information and systems to cloud computing
and big data. In addition, manufacturers
and retailers of ICT-related products or systems
can rest easy knowing that what they are developing
conforms to international best practice and
is compatible with components and systems the
world over.
Consumers
International Standards for ICT systems and
products provide a platform from which the
technology can develop and grow, allowing
consumers to benefit from state-of-the-art
devices, better-performing systems, and organizations
that work more effectively. What’s more,
consumers enjoy increased protection of their
personal data thanks to the advances in information
security achieved through standards.
2 – IEC, ISO and information communication technology IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 3
What ICT sectors do IEC and ISO cover ?
Information security
Artificial intelligence
Internet of Things
Smart cities
Smart cards
Software and systems
engineering
Emerging technology
and innovation
Blockchain
3D printing and scanning
Edge computing
What standards do IEC and ISO
have for ICT ?
Information security
In our hyperconnected world, the security of our information has
never been more crucial. Cyber-attacks and data breaches are
not only more common, they are increasingly complex and their
consequences more damaging than ever before.
With this in mind, IEC and ISO have developed a “ cybersecurity
toolkit ” featuring standards that help organizations keep their
information assets secure. This is known as the ISO/IEC 27000
series for IT security techniques, which covers areas such as
financial information, intellectual property, employee details
and information entrusted to an organization by third parties.
ISO/IEC 27001, Information technology – Security techniques –
Information security management systems – Requirements, sets
the framework for an information security management system.
It is further supplemented by other standards in the series
that provide additional detail on specific areas. These include
ISO/IEC 27002 (code of practice for information security controls),
ISO/IEC 27003 (guidance on ISO/IEC 27001:2013), ISO/IEC 27005
(information security risk management) and ISO/IEC 27008
(guidelines for the assessment of information security controls).
In addition, other ISO/IEC standards are in development in
specialized fields such as cryptology, which helps protect against
hacking by quantum computers.
4 – IEC, ISO and information communication technology IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 5
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) essentially refers to
a collection of technologies that enable intelligence
in machines. It is a growing field, with
75 % of enterprise applications predicted to
use AI by 20214), and covers everything from
machines in manufacturing that improve process
efficiencies to machine-learning platforms,
to personal robots and autonomous cars.
ISO/IEC JTC 1’s subcommittee SC 42, Artificial
intelligence, was created to develop requirements
and guidance in this area while carrying
out research into future domains of application.
Standards and deliverables published
or in development include the ISO/IEC 20547
series for big data reference architecture as
well as documents on issues such as bias in
decision making, trustworthiness, governance
implications and more.
This work is complemented by that of related
JTC 1 subcommittees. In particular, SC 37,
Biometrics, is responsible for the standardization
of biometric technologies that support interoperability
and data interchange between applications
for the authentication of individuals (such
as those used in airports), while SC 38, Cloud
computing and distributed platforms, focuses on
cloud-based applications for biometrics.
4) International Data Corporation, US Government Cognitive
and Artificial Intelligence Forecast 2018-2021 : Federal and
State and Local Should See Moderate Growth, March 2018
Who develops IEC and ISO standards for ICT ?
IEC and ISO standards are developed by groups of experts within technical
committees (TCs). TCs are made up of representatives and international experts
from industry, non-governmental organizations, governments and other
stakeholders who are put forward by IEC and ISO members from all over the world.
Each TC deals with a different subject or specialist area.
Joint technical committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, is the hub for the
development of standards for ICT and can be used by other IEC and ISO TCs.
It is made up of more than 4 500 experts from 99 countries, grouped in
22 subcommittees covering specialist areas from biometrics to cybersecurity to
artificial intelligence. ISO/IEC JTC 1 has published 3 175 standards, with an additional
517 under development. Learn more about the committee’s work at its dedicated
Website : https://jtc1info.org.
Other IEC/TCs that develop standards related to ICT include IEC/TC 65, Industrialprocess
measurement, control and automation, and the IEC Systems Committee
for Smart Cities (SyC Smart Cities).
Other ISO/TCs involved in developing standards related to ICT include ISO/TC 307,
Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, and ISO/TC 268, Sustainable
cities and communities.
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an infrastructure of interconnected
entities, people systems and information resources together with
services, which process and react to information from the physical
and virtual world.
IoT is the key enabling technology for new paradigms such as smart
homes, smart manufacturing, advanced agriculture, smart grids,
smart health, smart transportation, smart cities and ambient intelligence,
to name but a few. Its wide adoption across multiple areas
will help build a world that is more responsive and sustainable.
75 % of enterprise
applications are
predicted to use AI
by 2021.
6 – IEC, ISO and information communication technology IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 7
IoT systems and systems of systems are data-intensive distributed
computing systems that integrate many technologies covered
by JTC 1 subcommittees, such as networking, cloud computing,
cybersecurity, big data and artificial intelligence.
To support uptake, IEC and ISO develop standards that help
integrate these multiple IT technologies to build IoT systems
as well as bridge the gap between IoT and its multiple domains
of application. Thus, there is a particular emphasis on foundational
standards such as reference architectures, interoperability
and trustworthiness. These include ISO/IEC 30141,
Internet of Things (IoT) – Reference Architecture, which defines
a common international language for a variety of IoT topics.
Smart cities
As we move towards a world population of nearly ten billion people
by 20505), most of which will be urban, the pressures on our cities
are likely to increase. A “ smart city ” can be defined as a city that
develops sustainably to improve the quality of life of its citizens while
adapting to the challenge of rising urbanization.
IEC and ISO have a range of International Standards that provide
the tools, foundations and platforms to help cities meet these challenges.
The IEC Systems Committee for Smart Cities (SyC Smart Cities)
fosters the development of standards in the field of electrotechnology
to help with the integration, interoperability and effectiveness of
city systems. These include key standards on smart cities reference
architecture and reference architecture methodology.
ISO 37101, Sustainable development in communities – Management
system for sustainable development – Requirements with guidance
for use, presents cities with an overall framework for defining what
“ being smart ” means to them. It shows how they can meet this target
by setting the basic requirements for sustainable development in communities,
how to determine their sustainable development objectives
and ultimately put in place a viable strategy to achieve them.
5) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, press release, June 2017
8 – IEC, ISO and information communication technology IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 9
Interconnectivity and interoperability
are at the root of today’s
well-functioning cities, and the two
organizations have collaborated on a
number of standards that pool together
their individual areas of expertise.
ISO/IEC 30182, Smart city concept model
– Guidance for establishing a model
for data interoperability, provides a
conceptual model for smart cities that
facilitates interoperability between the
component systems of urban living,
such as place, community, services and
resources, affording a practical basis for
real-world applications.
Other standards under development
include :
• ISO/IEC 21972, Information
technology – An upper level ontology
for smart city indicators
• ISO/IEC 27550, Information technology
– Security techniques – Privacy
engineering
• ISO/IEC 27551, Information
technology – Security techniques –
Requirements for attribute-based
unlinkable entity authentication
Smart cards
From banking to healthcare, to transportation
and retail, smart cards have
become an essential element of our
modern way of life. Used by millions
of cardholders, they are hard at work
processing point-of-sale transactions,
managing records and securing facilities,
making smart card technology
more important than ever.
International Standards are essential to
this sector as they underpin the interoperability
and common language that
enable cards to “ talk ” to all the many
functions and systems they interact with
on a daily basis. This ensures they work
as intended in all areas of life, whether
that’s opening the door of a building in
your home town or drawing money from
a cash machine overseas.
ISO/IEC JTC 1’s subcommittee SC 17,
Cards and security devices for personal
identification, is responsible for creating
the standards behind these cards,
defining everything from their physical
dimensions to the technology that
supports them, such as microchips
and magnetic stripes. In addition,
it develops standards that enable
mobile devices to be used for personal
identification.
Interconnectivity and
interoperability are
at the root of today’s
well-functioning cities.
10 – IEC, ISO and information communication technology IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 11
Software and systems engineering
Software enables our control over
modern devices. Its pervasiveness in
society dictates the need for flexible,
reliable and usable tools and processes
that support the development
and maintenance of quality software
systems. ISO/IEC JTC 1’s subcommittee
SC 7, Software and systems engineering,
develops standards that cover the
processes, supporting tools and technologies
for the engineering of software
products and systems.
Key standards in this area include the
ISO/IEC 20000 series on service management
systems and ISO/IEC 26514,
which gives requirements for the design
and development of user documentation
for application software. Additionally,
developed in conjunction with the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE), ISO/IEC/IEEE 90003,
Software engineering – Guidelines for
the application of ISO 9001:2015 to
computer software, leads organizations
through the process of considering key
elements of their quality management
as it relates to software.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology holds immense
promise when it comes to revolutionizing
financial transactions while, at the
same time, improving a whole host of
things, from financial inclusion to efficiencies
in government, health and all
areas of business.
ISO technical committee ISO/TC 307, Blockchain
and distributed ledger technologies,
develops standards for blockchain that
will help this technology grow securely
and robustly, notably in the fields of reference
architecture, taxonomy and ontology.
Currently, finance offers the strongest use
cases for the technology in applications
such as security and privacy, identity management
and smart contracts.
3D printing and scanning
Standards development plays a pivotal
role in speeding up adoption of additive
manufacturing in existing production
environments. ISO/IEC JTC 1 develops
standards for 3D printing and scanning
that can serve as a basis for the
development of other standards in the
future, especially in the field of additive
manufacturing.
Edge computing
Edge computing refers to the computational
processes being done
at or near the “ edge ” of a network.
To address the new challenges this
technology poses, the integration of
edge computing and the Internet of
Things (IoT) is emerging as a promising
solution. Standardization for
edge computing involves aligning
standards related to IoT with those
for cloud computing to ensure
they have the same definitions of
concepts and terminology.
Emerging technology
and innovation
With technology evolving at such a
fast pace, highly complex standards
must be delivered and adopted by
industry faster than ever before.
What’s more, their development will
require more active collaboration
with other standards development
organizations to avoid duplication
of work.
To this end, a new IEC and ISO Joint
Advisory Group (JAG) was established
in 2016 to assess the needs
of the evolving ICT industry, identify
risks and opportunities and then
make recommendations to JTC 1 on
future standardization activities.
The Joint Advisory Group on Emerging
Technology and Innovation – or
JETI as it is known – has identified
15 priority technologies that need to
be considered. Four of these, namely
digital twin technology, quantum
computing, brain-computer interface
and autonomous vehicles, will
undergo in-depth analysis while
other areas of standardization continue
to be identified.
12 – IEC, ISO and information communication technology IEC, ISO and information communication technology – 13
© ISO, 2019
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-92-67-10979-4
About IEC
The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) brings together
171* countries and close to 20 000* experts who cooperate on the
global IEC platform to ensure that products work everywhere safely
with each other. The IEC is the world’s leading organization that
prepares and publishes globally relevant International Standards
for the whole energy chain, including all electrical, electronic and
related technologies, devices and systems. The IEC also supports all
forms of conformity assessment and administers four Conformity
Assessment Systems that certify that components, equipment and
systems used in homes, offices, healthcare facilities, public spaces,
transportation, manufacturing, explosive environments and energy
generation conform to them.
For more information, please visit www.iec.ch.
About ISO
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent,
non-governmental international organization with a membership of
164* national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together
experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based,
market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and
provide solutions to global challenges. ISO has published more than
22 500* International Standards and related documents covering
almost every industry, from technology to food safety, to agriculture
and healthcare.
For more information, please visit www.iso.org.
*March 2019
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