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Across 8 modules • Updated Jul 25, 2026
Author
Sorena AI
Published
May 9, 2026
Updated
Jul 25, 2026
ETSI EN 303 645 consumer IoT products: what is in scope?

What counts as a consumer IoT product under ETSI EN 303 645?

ETSI defines a consumer IoT device as a network-connected or network-connectable device that has relationships to associated services and is typically used by consumers in the home or as an electronic wearable. An IoT product is the consumer IoT device plus its associated services. Consumer devices do not leave scope merely because a business also uses them.

Examples include connected children's toys, baby monitors, smoke detectors, locks, window sensors, gateways, hubs, cameras, speakers, televisions, wearable health trackers, home automation and alarms, appliances, and smart home assistants. Devices primarily intended for manufacturing, healthcare, or other industrial applications are outside the document's scope.

  • Start the scope note with the exact device or product family, its network connectivity, and the consumer use case. If the device is not network-connected or network-connectable, this EN 303 645 scope test ends.
  • Include digital services that form part of the product and are typically required for its intended functionality, such as manufacturer cloud access, preconfigured telemetry, or a required companion app.
  • Treat a user-chosen website or store-installed app as outside the associated-service boundary unless product-specific facts show that the manufacturer made it part of the intended product.
  • Do not stretch the scope to a product primarily intended for industrial, manufacturing, or healthcare use merely because it connects to a network.
  • If consumer and professional uses overlap, document the intended market, ordinary user, sales channels, instructions, and service configuration instead of treating business use alone as an exclusion.
Citations
ETSI TS 103 701 V2.1.1, scope

Assessment source confirming that the methodology covers consumer IoT devices, their associated services, and corresponding relevant processes.

ETSI EN 303 645 consumer IoT products: what is in scope?

How should teams document product scope for assessment?

ETSI TS 103 701 uses the Device Under Test (DUT) as the specific consumer IoT device submitted for assessment. The test scenarios cover DUT functionality, its relation to associated services, and relevant development or management processes. The most up-to-date DUT software version should be used for the assessment.

The Supplier Organization can be the developer, manufacturer, vendor, or distributor requesting the assessment. It provides the ICS and IXIT to the Test Laboratory and coordinates necessary product and supply-chain information. The laboratory uses those records to verify scope, derive a test plan, perform applicable test groups, and assign verdicts.

  • Identify the DUT, software version, interfaces, associated services, and relevant supplier-side processes before claiming assessment readiness.
  • Use the EN 303 645 implementation conformance statement pro forma to record support, non-support, or not-applicable rationale for each provision.
  • Use the TS 103 701 IXIT structure to point assessors to the evidence needed for conceptual and functional tests.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 consumer IoT products: what is in scope?

What scope mistakes create weak ETSI EN 303 645 claims?

A weak scope claim treats ETSI EN 303 645 as a generic product-security label. The standard is product- and provision-specific: applicability can depend on a provision's condition, whether a feature exists, which associated services form part of the product, and the exact DUT version.

V3.1.3 no longer defines a general constrained-device category. A use-case resource constraint matters only where a provision makes it relevant, such as the condition in provision 5.1-5. Provision 5.0-1 also requires a recorded justification for each recommendation considered not applicable or not fulfilled.

  • Avoid saying a whole product is compliant without naming the assessed DUT, associated services, provisions, software version, and evidence boundary.
  • Do not exclude a cloud service or companion app when it is an associated service required for the product's intended functionality.
  • Record feature, condition, resource-constraint, and recommendation decisions separately instead of using a generic N/A statement.
  • Reassess scope when connectivity, intended use, target users, required apps or cloud services, default service configuration, supplier responsibilities, model designation, or assessed software version changes.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 default passwords: what must consumer IoT teams do?

What does ETSI EN 303 645 require for default passwords?

Provision 5.1-1 applies where passwords authenticate users against the device or provide machine-to-machine authentication. In every state other than factory default, all device passwords must be unique per device or defined by the user. A universal value such as "admin" cannot remain usable as an operational password after initialization.

The standard permits unique pre-installed passwords, a user-selected password during initialization, or another authentication method that does not use passwords. Standard pairing codes are not treated as machine-to-machine passwords. V3.1.3 separately recommends that passwords not be used for machine-to-machine authentication and requires applicable authentication mechanisms to use best-practice cryptography.

Apply the test to every password-bearing path. Check local administration, remote APIs, network protocols, companion-app handoffs, service credentials used by the device, initialization, recovery, and factory reset. Record which state each credential is usable in and whether reset restores a unique value or forces a user-defined value before normal operation.

  • List every user and machine-to-machine authentication mechanism, including device interfaces, companion apps, local APIs, and network protocols.
  • For each mechanism, state whether the password is user-defined, unique per device, factory-default only, or not used.
  • Do not present a product as aligned with provision 5.1 if a universal password remains usable after initialization or reset into an operational state.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 V3.1.3, clause 5.1

Current ETSI source for unique or user-defined passwords outside factory default, machine-to-machine password guidance, authentication cryptography, change mechanisms, and brute-force protection.

ETSI EN 303 645 default passwords: what must consumer IoT teams do?

How should pre-installed unique passwords be handled?

Provision 5.1-2 applies when pre-installed unique per-device passwords are used. The generation mechanism must reduce the risk of automated attacks against a class or type of device, so the evidence has to cover the generation method, not only a sample label or onboarding screenshot.

ETSI gives examples of weak patterns to avoid: incremental counters, common strings, and passwords obviously related to public information such as MAC addresses or Wi-Fi SSIDs. TS 103 701 turns that into conceptual checks on regularities, common patterns, relationship to public information, and appropriate complexity.

  • Document the password generation mechanism in IXIT 1-AuthMech, including the authentication mechanism that uses it.
  • Show that generated passwords are not based on predictable counters, public identifiers, common strings, or obvious device information.
  • Keep functional evidence that sampled device passwords match the documented generation mechanism.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 default passwords: what must consumer IoT teams do?

What else belongs in a provision 5.1 password evidence pack?

Default-password work is only one part of clause 5.1. If a user can authenticate against the device, provision 5.1-4 requires a simple way for the user or an administrator to change the authentication value, whether that value is a password, PIN, biometric, or other token. Provision 5.1-5 requires a mechanism that makes successful brute-force attacks through network interfaces impracticable unless a resource constraint determined by the use case prevents implementation.

For an assessment, TS 103 701 expects the supplier organization to complete ICS and IXIT information so the test laboratory can derive a test plan. Incomplete IXIT information can lead to an inconclusive test result because the test case cannot be properly executed.

  • Include user-facing instructions for changing passwords or other authentication values, and verify the old value stops working after change.
  • Document brute-force prevention for network-accessible authentication, such as rate limits, increasing delays, account suspension, lockout, suitable entropy, or multi-factor authentication. If a use-case resource constraint prevents the control, identify the constraint and its effect.
  • Tie each claim to the assessed device version, user manual, interfaces, onboarding flow, reset behavior, and IXIT entries used by the test plan.
  • Reassess clause 5.1 when an authentication interface, credential source, generation algorithm, onboarding or recovery flow, factory-reset behavior, network protocol, or device software version changes.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 personal data deletion FAQ for consumer IoT

What does ETSI EN 303 645 require for personal data deletion?

Clause 5.11 separates mandatory device erasure from recommended service deletion. Provision 5.11-1 says users shall have functionality to erase all their user data from the device in a simple manner. Here, user data means data stored on the device that the user created or that the device generated through user activity, including personal data, configuration, event logs, and cryptographic material such as passwords or keys. It excludes data present before the user's first use.

Provision 5.11-2 says the consumer should have functionality on the device to delete personal data from associated services in a simple manner. Relevant moments include ownership transfer, a personal-data deletion request, removal of a service, and device disposal. "Simple" means minimal steps, each with minimal complexity.

The explanatory text says a consumer who requests complete deletion also expects retrospective deletion of backup copies. Treat backup handling as part of the product's deletion design and evidence, but do not present that explanation as a separate mandatory EN 303 645 provision. Applicable law or another requirement may independently control whether particular records must be deleted or retained.

  • Treat device erasure and associated-service removal as two related but distinct deletion paths.
  • Do not assume a factory reset is enough for every privacy scenario; ETSI gives a shared-use example where resetting the whole device would not be appropriate for deleting one user's personal data.
  • Keep GDPR statements narrow: EN 303 645 says the functionality is expected to comply with applicable data protection law, including GDPR, but the standard itself presents technical baseline provisions rather than a full legal assessment.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 V3.1.3, clause 5.11

Primary ETSI source for consumer IoT user-data erasure, personal-data removal from associated services, deletion instructions, confirmation, and the caution that factory reset is not always the right mechanism.

ETSI EN 303 645 personal data deletion FAQ for consumer IoT

What should the user experience include?

The standard uses simple, user-facing language. Deletion should require minimal steps and minimal complexity, and users should receive clear instructions on how to delete their personal data.

Provision 5.11-4 recommends clear confirmation that personal data has been deleted and, where possible, erased from devices and associated services. The current edition does not list applications as a separate confirmation target. An app may still be part of the device or an associated service, but the product boundary must establish that.

  • Show the deletion entry point in the relevant device, app, or service interface instead of burying it in support-only processes.
  • Explain whether the action erases device-stored user data, removes personal data from associated services, deletes an app or account profile, or does more than one of these.
  • Confirm which device and associated-service data the action covered, including any practical consequence such as logout, loss of remote services, or return to factory-default state.
  • Document any data that remains because deletion is not available or because another requirement applies; ETSI EN 303 645 alone does not decide the legal retention question.
Citations
ETSI TS 103 701 V2.1.1, sample IXIT 25-DelFunc

The sample IXIT illustrates deletion-function evidence fields such as description, target type, initiation and interaction, and confirmation for device reset and online-profile removal examples.

ETSI EN 303 645 personal data deletion FAQ for consumer IoT

What evidence should teams keep for assessment?

ETSI TS 103 701 maps the deletion provisions to concrete IXIT entries. For 5.11-1, the required deletion-function evidence includes an ID, description, target type, and initiation and interaction. For 5.11-2, teams also need personal-data evidence that describes the personal data and processing activities, linked to the deletion functionality.

For 5.11-3 and 5.11-4, the evidence extends to user information: documentation of deletion, personal-data and deletion-function entries, and confirmation evidence. The useful evidence packet therefore joins three views: the personal data inventory, the deletion function, and the user-facing documentation or confirmation.

  • Maintain a personal-data inventory that records what personal data is processed, the purpose, authorized parties, lifecycle, and processing activities where those fields apply.
  • Maintain a deletion-function record for each deletion route, including the target type and the exact user interaction that initiates it.
  • Retain screenshots, user documentation, or other visible evidence showing the deletion instructions and the confirmation shown after deletion.
  • Test the result on the device and each associated service, including shared-user behavior, ownership transfer, account removal, service removal, factory reset, disposal, and any stated backup outcome.
  • Reassess the deletion map when a data category, storage location, backup process, account model, associated service, reset flow, retention rule, or product software version changes.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 support period: what must consumer IoT teams publish?

What does ETSI EN 303 645 mean by support period?

The support period is not a general warranty promise. ETSI EN 303 645 defines it specifically around security updates: the minimum length of time, expressed as a period or by an end date, for which the manufacturer will provide security updates.

The public statement should identify the product or model and give either a duration with a clear start point or a specific end date. Avoid wording such as "supported for a reasonable period": it does not tell a buyer when security-update support ends.

EN 303 645 does not prescribe a universal minimum number of months or years. The manufacturer defines the period for the product and publishes it. Other laws, contracts, procurement terms, assurance schemes, or product-specific standards may impose a different or longer commitment and need separate review.

  • State the support period as a concrete period or end date for the consumer IoT product.
  • Keep the claim limited to security-update support unless separate sources support broader product-support or warranty language.
  • Tie the support-period statement to the product or model designation users need in order to check update support.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 support period: what must consumer IoT teams publish?

What must be published for users?

Provision 5.3-13 requires the manufacturer to publish the defined support period in an accessible, clear, and transparent way. The surrounding ETSI text explains why: when purchasing a product, the consumer expects the period of software-update support to be clear.

TS 103 701 makes this assessable through IXIT 2-UserInfo and the software-component information in IXIT 6-SoftComp. The laboratory checks whether a user with limited technical knowledge can understand and access the publication, whether access is unrestricted, and whether the published statement matches the documented support period.

  • Publish the support period where users can reach it without registration or other access restrictions.
  • Document the publication path in IXIT 2-UserInfo as "Publication of Support Period", including the information needed to access it.
  • Check that the public page, product information, app help path, or manual points to the same support period recorded in the assessment evidence.
  • Recheck the publication at product launch and whenever the model designation, support end date, duration start point, update policy, public URL, or software-component support dependency changes.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 support period: what must consumer IoT teams publish?

How should devices that cannot be updated be handled?

If a device cannot have its software updated, do not stop at saying updates are unavailable. Provision 5.3-14 recommends publishing the reason, plus the period and method of hardware replacement support, in an accessible, clear, and transparent way. The mandatory defined support period under 5.3-13 still applies.

V3.1.3 applies this route to any device that cannot have its software updated; it is no longer limited to a defined constrained-device class. Provisions 5.3-15A and 5.3-15B also recommend that such a device be isolable and that its hardware be replaceable. TS 103 701 maps the replacement and isolation evidence to IXIT 9-ReplSup.

  • For updateable products, publish the defined security-update support period and keep it aligned with update evidence.
  • For non-updateable products, also publish why software updates are absent and how hardware replacement support works.
  • Keep replacement-support and isolation evidence separate from general marketing claims so assessors can trace the non-updateable-device route.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 telemetry: what should consumer IoT teams evidence?

What does ETSI EN 303 645 say about telemetry?

EN 303 645 defines telemetry as data from a device that can help the manufacturer identify issues or information related to device usage. Provision 5.10-1 is a recommendation that applies when telemetry is collected from the IoT product, including usage and measurement data. It does not require telemetry collection.

The standard gives practical examples of the kind of security signal it expects teams to look for: deviations from normal device behaviour, such as an abnormal increase in failed login attempts, or telemetry across multiple devices showing that updates are failing because software update authenticity checks are invalid.

  • Start by listing the telemetry actually collected by the device and associated services, not by writing a generic monitoring statement.
  • For each telemetry category, document whether it is used for security anomaly examination or only for another purpose such as performance or stability analysis.
  • Keep the claim conditional: EN 303 645 does not require every product to collect telemetry, but collected telemetry should be examined for security anomalies.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 telemetry: what should consumer IoT teams evidence?

What evidence should support a telemetry claim?

TS 103 701 turns the telemetry provision into IXIT 24-TelData evidence. The completed IXIT lists telemetry collected by the device and associated services, with an identifier, description, purpose, security examination, and references to any personal data processed in the telemetry data.

For provision 5.10-1, the Test Laboratory checks whether IXIT 24-TelData describes at least one examination for security anomalies and whether the telemetry description is suitable for that examination. A TelData inventory is not enough by itself; the assessment needs the relationship between the signal and the stated anomaly check.

  • Use a TelData entry for each telemetry category actually collected, such as crash logs, update-failure signals, failed-login indicators, or usage measurements.
  • For telemetry used in security monitoring, describe how anomalies are examined and whether the examination is performed by the device or by an associated service.
  • If a telemetry category is not used for security examination, say so plainly instead of implying that every telemetry feed is security telemetry.
  • For a reviewable evidence record, connect each stated examination to its signal, expected baseline or rule, responsible team or service, review or execution cadence, retained result, and handoff into vulnerability or incident handling when the check finds a potential issue.
  • Reassess the TelData inventory and notices when a sensor, event field, identifier, collection purpose, recipient, associated service, anomaly rule, retention practice, or product software version changes.
Citations
ETSI EN 303 645 telemetry: what should consumer IoT teams evidence?

How should telemetry personal data and consumer information be handled?

EN 303 645 clause 6 is the relevant place to narrow privacy-facing telemetry statements. It says the document addresses personal-data protection from a strictly technical perspective, so teams should avoid broad legal-compliance claims unless they have separate legal source support.

For collected telemetry, provision 6-4 recommends limiting personal-data processing to what is necessary for the intended functionality identified under provision 6-5. Provision 6-5 requires information for consumers on what telemetry is collected, how it is used, by whom, and for what purposes. These are distinct from the security-anomaly recommendation in 5.10-1.

  • Map any personal data in telemetry to IXIT 21-PersData and keep only the data needed for the stated telemetry purpose.
  • Make the consumer-facing telemetry notice accessible and consistent with the IXIT 2-UserInfo documentation of telemetry data.
  • When publishing product claims, say that the ETSI evidence supports technical data-protection provisions; do not claim GDPR compliance from EN 303 645 alone.
Citations
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