Buying a smart home device? Look for this new cybersecurity seal – here's why

If a proposal by the Federal Communications Commission goes through, it will soon be much easier for you to know which smart home products are secure.

It’s called the ‘US Cyber Trust Mark’

In an announcement today, the FCC revealed plans to create a voluntary program for smart device manufacturers. If companies meet certain cybersecurity standards, the product packaging will feature a special “US Cyber Trust Mark” logo.

Not only will this help consumers make informed decisions and differentiate trustworthy products, the FCC says, but it should also encourage manufacturers to meet higher security standards.

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A White House briefing from 2023 about the same program said it would apply to smart refrigerators, smart microwaves, smart televisions, smart climate control systems, smart fitness trackers, and more. Several companies have voiced support for the program, the briefing says, including Amazon, Best Buy, Google, LG Electronics USA., Logitech, and Samsung Electronics.

Specifications still under development 

The exact specifications to qualify for the program are still under development by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, but they will involve measures like requiring unique and strong default passwords, protecting user data, providing software updates, and installing capabilities to detect incidents.

Alongside the logo, the FCC plans to use a QR code on qualified products that links to a registry of certified devices.

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People with bad intent made more than 1.5 billion attacks in the first half of 2021, the FCC says, and there will likely be more than 25 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things over the next five years. In short, that’s a lot of attacks against a lot of devices, which is why it’s important to raise the standard of protection.

Timeline

The FCC didn’t announce an exact timeline but did say that if the proposal is adopted, it could be up and running by late this year.