The Biden administration and major consumer technology players launched an effort Tuesday to implement a national cybersecurity labeling and certification program to help consumers choose smart devices that are less vulnerable to to hack.
The officials compared the new US cyber trustmark initiative, which will be overseen by the federal communications commissionwith voluntary participation from the industry, to the Energy Star program, which qualifies the energy efficiency of household appliances.
“It will allow Americans to confidently identify which Internet and Bluetooth connected devices are cybersecure,” the deputy national security adviser said. Anne Neuberger he told reporters at a pre-announcement briefing.
Amazon, Best Buy, Google, LG Electronics USA, Logitech and Samsung are among the industry players.
Devices including baby monitors, home security cameras, fitness trackers, televisions, refrigerators, and smart climate control systems that meet US government cybersecurity requirements will be labeled “Cyber Trust,” a shield logo, starting next year, officials said.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel He said the mark will give consumers “peace of mind” and benefit manufacturers, whose products will have to meet criteria set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to qualify.
The FCC was launching a rulemaking process to set the standards and seek public comment. In addition to carrying logos, participating devices would have QR codes that could be scanned for up-to-date security information.
In a sentence, the Consumer Technology Association said consumers could expect to see products ready for certification at the industry’s annual January show, CES 2024, once the FCC adopts the final rules. A senior Biden administration official said products that qualify for the logo were expected to undergo annual recertification.
The Cyber Trust initiative was first announced in October following a meeting between the White House and tech industry representatives.
The proliferation of so-called smart devices has coincided with the rise in cybercrime where an insecure device can often give a cyber intruder a dangerous foothold on a home network.
An April report from cybersecurity firm Bitdefender and network equipment company NetGear, based on their smart home monitoring, found that the most vulnerable devices in 2022 were by far smart TVs, followed by smart plugs, routers and digital video recorders.
The vendors of many smart home devices often don’t update and patch the software fast enough to thwart emerging malware threats. The Cyber Mark standards are expected to clarify which devices patch vulnerable software in a timely manner and secure their communications to preserve privacy, authorities said. It will also be important to inform consumers which devices are equipped to detect intrusions.
