The White House Unveils Cyber Trust Mark for Smart Devices
The White House has introduced a new label, the Cyber Trust Mark, for internet-connected devices such as smart thermostats, baby monitors, and app-controlled lights. The label is designed to provide consumers with a quick and easy way to evaluate the cyber safety of a smart product.
The Cyber Trust Mark is a stylized shield logo with microchip-style detailing and is only awarded to products that meet established cybersecurity criteria from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology via compliance testing by accredited labs. The label is voluntary, but officials hope that consumers will start to demand it, just as they do with U.S. Department of Agriculture labels on food or Energy Star ratings on appliances.
The surge in popularity of smart devices has introduced new risks, with motivated cyber attackers eager to exploit vulnerabilities. U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber Anne Neuberger warned that each device “presents a digital door” that hackers are eager to enter.
The Cyber Trust Mark is expected to hit store shelves later this year, with an initial focus on consumer devices such as cameras, followed by home and office routers, and smart meters. The White House also plans to issue an executive order later this year restricting the U.S. government to only purchasing Cyber Trust Mark products beginning in 2027. The program has bipartisan support.
