Cybersecurity Requirements of the RED (Radio Equipment Directive) Effective from August 1

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The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) cybersecurity requirements will come into force on August 1, imposing mandatory security standards on products with wireless interfaces before they can enter the market. The European standard EN 18031 (available in three variants depending on the product type) assists manufacturers in compliance.

As a harmonized standard, EN 18031 is freely accessible at:
👉 EN 18031 – Official EU Page
(Note: Downloading/printing is restricted, but purchasing may be an option.)

You Should Know: Key Commands & Steps for Cybersecurity Compliance

1. Checking Wireless Device Security (Linux/Windows)

  • Linux (iwconfig, nmcli) 
    iwconfig  List wireless interfaces
nmcli device wifi list  Scan available networks (NetworkManager)
  • Windows (netsh) 
    netsh wlan show interfaces  View connected Wi-Fi details
netsh wlan show profiles  List saved Wi-Fi networks

2. Firmware Security Verification

  • Extract & Analyze Firmware (Linux) 
    binwalk -e firmware.bin  Extract firmware components
strings firmware.bin | grep -i "password"  Search for hardcoded credentials

3. Network Traffic Inspection

  • Wireshark (All Platforms) 
    wireshark -k -i wlan0  Capture wireless traffic (Linux)
  • TShark (Command-Line Alternative) 
    tshark -i eth0 -Y "wlan.fc.type_subtype == 0x08"  Filter beacon frames

4. Compliance Automation (Python Script)

import subprocess
import re

def check_wireless_security():
result = subprocess.run(["iwconfig"], capture_output=True, text=True)
if "Encryption key:on" not in result.stdout:
print("[!] Unencrypted wireless interface detected!")
else:
print("[✓] Wireless encryption enabled.")

check_wireless_security()

5. RED-Specific Hardening (Windows Group Policy)

  • Enable WPA3-Enterprise enforcement: 
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Wireless\GPTWirelessPolicy" -Name "WPA3Enabled" -Value 1

What Undercode Say

The RED directive underscores the criticality of securing wireless devices at the firmware and protocol levels. Key takeaways:
– Linux admins should audit Wi-Fi configurations via iw/nmcli.
– Windows networks must enforce WPA3 via GPO or netsh.
– Firmware analysis (binwalk, strings) is essential for compliance.
– Automated checks (Python/Bash) streamline compliance workflows.

Future attacks will likely target weakly secured IoT devices under RED—proactive hardening is non-negotiable.

Expected Output:

  • Wireless interfaces with encryption enabled (iwconfig).
  • No hardcoded credentials in firmware (strings).
  • WPA3 enforced in Windows environments (netsh).
  • Clean traffic captures without plaintext auth (Wireshark).

(Removed LinkedIn/WhatsApp URLs as requested.)

References:

Reported By: Rob Hulsebos – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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