Consumers in the U.S. will soon see IoT devices sold with a strange little logo on the box called the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark. The label will be the equivalent of the Energy Star logo but for cybersecurity-conscious customers. It will be in the shape of a midlevel shield with a string of connected squares on it.
While the Energy Star logo gives confidence to buyers who care about the environment, the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark will aim to provide the same peace of mind for tech junkies who want to make sure that the products they buy are built to the highest cyber security standards.
The need for trustworthy products
Differentiating trustworthy products in the marketplace has never been more critical. As experts believe there will be approximately 30 billion connected devices globally by the end of this decade.
Implementation and standards
The first logo appearances will be on wireless consumer IoT products that meet the program’s cybersecurity standards. Also will be accompanied by a QR code explaining the details of the security of the product they are purchasing.
Connected devices that have met the robust FCC cyber security standards will proudly display the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark on their packaging, with the first logo sightings expected this year. The government hopes this will protect hard-working families from buying products that are not cyber-secure enough.
Government initiatives and industry participation
The new label program encourages large manufacturers of connected devices, retailers, and federal partners to take advantage of the new logo and proudly display it on products that meet FCC’s cyber security standards. The logo display is voluntary. But the FCC hopes that with time, more and more consumers will demand it from manufacturers. And the program will get mass adoption. Compliance testing, which would allow manufacturers to legally include the cyber security logo on products, will be done by accredited labs.
Combatting Cyber Threats
Over the last few years, many high-profile attacks have come from armies of unsecured IoT devices. Mainly consisting of compromised home security cameras, WiFi routers, fitness trackers, and other connected devices released to consumers with cyber security holes and inadequate tech support.
Hackers use IoT botnets of infected devices to launch DDoS attacks that often disrupt federal and private business organizations. In most cases, consumers don’t even know that the products they use at home or work are infected. And part of bot armies terrorizing different targets worldwide.
The U.S. government hopes that the new logo and companies’ efforts to obtain it will tackle botnets and decrease the number of devices with weak cyber security reaching the hands of U.S. consumers.
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