Key Takeaways
- New device designed by the National Cyber Security Centre protects against malicious connections between monitors and laptops
- First commercially available product licensed to use NCSC branding granted to Goldilock Labs in manufacturing partnership with Sony UK Technology Centre
- UK government and businesses to be protected at scale by the affordable plug-in cyber security device
An innovative device which protects video connections from cyber attacks is being launched to the global market at CYBERUK, the UK government’s flagship cyber security conference.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ – created the intellectual property for a new cyber security device and has now licensed Goldilock Labs to manufacture and sell it globally.
SilentGlass, a plug-and-play device, actively blocks anything unexpected or malicious between HDMI and Display Port connections and screens.
Already successfully deployed on Government estates, SilentGlass is now available for anyone to buy and use. It has been approved for use in the most high-threat environments.
The NCSC assesses that monitors can be a hugely attractive target for threat actors as they can hold and process valuable, sensitive or personal data. Monitors are ‘highly likely’ to be used to gain access to a network for espionage purposes, disruption or financial gain, with mitigations often costly and inefficient.
Over the years, an increasing array of more sophisticated devices have become available, as more connections increases the risk of attack. SilentGlass has been developed to help protect against malicious connections and shut down this attack vector.
“Display screens and monitors are everywhere in modern business environments, and the SilentGlass device will help protect previously vulnerable IT infrastructure with unprecedented ease.
Its development and commercialisation shows the impact that the NCSC can have, alongside industry partners, with an affordable and effective product now globally available.
By helping to launch a UK company onto the global market with this world-class innovation, we are breaking new ground and helping to strengthen national prosperity.” Ollie Whitehouse, NCSC Chief Technology Officer
Following a competitive process, the exploitation licence has been awarded to Goldilock Labs, a UK-based small business with expertise in cyber security innovation and secure manufacture. They have partnered with Sony UK Technology Centre, and the product is available globally now.
“SilentGlass addresses a gap that has been widely overlooked. The hardware interfaces people rely on every day have rarely been treated as security boundaries, despite being exposed to risk through supply chains, third-party servicing, and direct physical access.
Originating in NCSC-led work and brought into the commercial domain through its IP exploitation programme, SilentGlass turns high-assurance innovation into a practical, deployable security solution.
What was once confined to national security environments is now being applied with a low-cost, easy to deploy solution for CNI and businesses where the same risks exist.
SilentGlass is the first step in a wider effort to enforce behaviour at hardware interfaces before it reaches complex software. It reflects a shift toward treating physical connectivity as a point of control rather than an assumed trust boundary.” Stephen Kines, Co-Founder, Goldilock Labs
Through this innovative partnership with Goldilock, and their partner Sony UK Technology Centre, the NCSC expects rapid global adoption of SilentGlass by governments and risk-conscious organisations, positioning it as a flagship example of how Government’s intellectual property can be successfully commercialised to drive national prosperity.
The original announcement can be found here.
