Security Intelligence
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On January 8, 2025, the White House introduced the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a new cybersecurity safety label for internet-connected consumer devices purchased in the U.S.
The new label is intended to help consumers identify products that meet security standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), including features like:
- Unique default passwords
- Regular software updates
- Data protection
- Incident detection capabilities
It applies to devices such as home security cameras, smart TVs, appliances, fitness trackers, climate control systems, and baby monitors. The label will also contain a QR code that potential purchasers can follow to access detailed security information, including instructions for secure configuration and update policies.
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Major companies like Amazon, Google, Best Buy, LG Electronics U.S.A., Logitech, and Samsung Electronics have announced their participation in this voluntary program, which is expected to roll out later in 2025. The initiative seeks to enhance consumer awareness and incentivize manufacturers to produce more secure smart devices, similar to the impact of the EnergyStar label on energy-efficient products.
The program will be overseen by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which has recently approved 11 companies as Cybersecurity Label Administrators responsible for its day-to-day management and certification processes. This development underscores a bipartisan effort to bolster cybersecurity in consumer products and provide Americans with a straightforward way to assess the security of smart devices they bring into their homes.
Source: Bleeping Computer
Analysis
Unique default passwords, regular software updates, data protection, and incident detection capabilities are best practices that all manufacturers of internet-connected consumer devices should have already adopted.
However, that isn’t always the case.
If the new Cyber Trust Mark encourages manufacturers of less secure devices to make improvements, it would certainly positively impact the security of devices available in the U.S. market space. Additionally, for those manufacturers who have already adopted these best practices, the label will reinforce and reward their efforts.
Mitigation
Field Effect’s elite team of Security Intelligence professionals constantly monitor the cyber threat landscape for threats to internet-connected devices. This research contributes to the timely deployment of signatures into Field Effect MDR to detect and mitigate the exploitation of these threats.
Field Effect MDR users are automatically notified if a vulnerable internet-connected device is detected in their environment and are encouraged to review these AROs as quickly as possible via the Field Effect Portal.
Field Effect recommends that users promptly change the default passwords of any internet-connected devices once they are deployed. Furthermore, users should ensure that these devices are kept up to date by enabling automatic updates.
