- The Federal Communications Commission has voted to create a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless consumer Internet of Things products.
- Qualified consumer smart products that meet strong cybersecurity standards will be labeled and will help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
- The Commission is also seeking public comment on other potential disclosure requirements, including questions such as whether a product component is developed or deployed by a company located in a country where there are national security concerns.
American Cyber Trust Mark
The Federal Communications Commission has voted to create a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless consumer Internet of Things (IoT) products.
Under the program, qualified consumer smart products that meet strong cybersecurity standards will be labeled, including the new “American Cyber Trust Mark,” which will help consumers make informed purchasing decisions, differentiate trusted products in the marketplace, and create incentives for manufacturers to meet higher cybersecurity standards. With today’s action, the Committee has adopted the rules and framework for the program to move forward.
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Necessity of program
The Commission is also seeking public comment on other potential disclosure requirements, including whether a product’s software or firmware is developed or deployed by a company located in a country where there are national security concerns, and whether customer data collected by a product is sent to a server located in that country.
There are a variety of consumer iot products on the market that communicate over wireless networks. These products are made up of a variety of devices and are based on many technologies, each with its own set of security challenges. In August 2023, the Commission proposed and solicited comments on the development of a voluntary cybersecurity labelling program for IoT.
The new rules adopted are based on this record. Research shows that in the first half of 2021 alone, there were more than 1.5 billion attacks against iot devices. It is estimated that by 2030, there will be more than 25 billion connected iot devices in operation.
