Security News > 2023 > July > U.S. preparing Cyber Trust Mark for more secure smart devices
A new cybersecurity certification and labeling program called U.S. Cyber Trust Mark is being shaped to help U.S. consumers choose connected devices that are more secure and resilient to hacker attacks.
NIST-level security for IoT. The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program aims to recognize smart products that meet cybersecurity criteria from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which include the use of unique and strong default passwords, data protection, software updates, and incident detection capabilities.
The labeling is intended for common smart devices for consumers, ranging from refrigerators, microwave ovens, television sets, climate control systems, to fitness trackers, reads the announcement from the Biden-Harris Administration.
Until the program launches, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would support the FCC's effort to educate consumers to look for the Cyber Trust Mark on the products they decide to purchase.
To improve transparency and stimulate competition, certified devices would be listed into a national registry that consumers could consult via a QR code to compare the security information present in multiple products.
Efforts define baseline security in IoT devices have existed for more than five years, with proposals and for a standard firmware update mechanism being among the first recommendations from cybersecurity experts and published by the Internet Engineering Task Force.