SecuRepairs represents information security professionals who support the right to repair. SecuRepairs is intended to serve as a platform for information (“cyber”) professionals to speak with one voice in support of a common Statement of Principles in the ongoing, national conversation about the rights of owners and independent repair professionals. With arguments being made for and against the ri
ght to repair electronic devices, lawmakers and the public need informed, factual advice regarding issues of information security, data privacy and cyber risk. Information security professionals are in the best position to provide such advice and to ensure that laws regarding the right to repair are based on the best and most accurate information available. Consumers and businesses across the country are feeling the effects of a constrained repair ecosystem. Manufacturers and OEMs are using End User License Agreements (EULAs) to attempt to restrict the rights of owners and their agents (independent repair professionals) to service, repair and re-use a wide range of consumer electronic devices. Among the arguments floated in opposition to right to repair laws are those that equate repair with hacking and suggest that only by keeping the workings of technology secret can we keep it secure. In other cases, manufacturers have suggested that routine repair and servicing of electronic devices threatens the security and privacy of personal data. Finally, manufacturers have suggested that the provision of basic amenities like service manuals, replacement parts and diagnostic software upsets the “integrity” of their business model. Voices of Reason
In the din of competing voices, information security professionals are uniquely positioned to provide expert advice and insight about how best to secure the growing population of connected devices and the security and privacy impacts of repair and maintenance. SecuRepairs is intended to provide that voice of reason: providing a platform on which security professionals can discuss the value of repair and “fixable” stuff and connecting security professionals with lawmakers and deliberative bodies in their home state.
