The US government has launched a cyber-security label for internet-connected devices, known as the US Cyber Trust Mark.

This follows a public notice and input over the past 18 months, during which FCC commissioners decided in a bipartisan and unanimous vote to authorise the programme and adopt final rules, as well as the trademarked, distinct shield logo that will be applied to products certified for the US Cyber Trust Mark label.

In December 2024, the FCC announced the conditional approval of 11 companies as cyber-security label administrators and the conditional selection of Underwriters Laboratories (www.ul.com) as the lead administrator.

Americans have many smart wireless interconnected devices in their homes, from baby monitors to home security cameras to voice-activated assistants. These devices are part of Americans’ daily lives. But they are worried about the rise of criminals remotely hacking into home security systems to unlock doors, or malicious attackers tapping into insecure home cameras to record conversations illicitly.

The US government launched this bipartisan effort to educate American consumers and give them an easy way to assess the cyber security of such products, as well as incentivise companies to produce more cyber-secure devices, much as EnergyStar labels did for energy efficiency.

Major electronics, appliance and consumer product manufacturers, as well as retailers and trade associations, have been working to increase cyber security for the products they sell. The US Cyber Trust Mark programme allows them to test products against established cyber-security criteria from the US National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) via compliance testing by accredited labs, and earn the Cyber Trust Mark label, providing an easy way for American consumers to see the cyber security of products they choose to bring into their homes.

“We see great potential in the US Cyber Trust Mark programme,” said Michael Dolan, senior director at Best Buy. “It is a positive step forward for consumers and we are excited about the opportunity to highlight this programme for our customers.”

Steve Downer, vice president at Amazon, added: “Amazon supports the US Cyber Trust Mark’s goal to strengthen consumer trust in connected devices. We believe consumers will value seeing the US Cyber Trust Mark both on product packaging and while shopping online. We look forward to collaborating with industry partners and the government on consumer education efforts and implementation strategies.”

And Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports, said: “Consumer Reports is eager to see this programme deliver a meaningful US Cyber Trust Mark that lets consumers know their connected devices meet fundamental cyber-security standards. The mark will also inform consumers whether or not a company plans to stand behind the product with software updates and for how long. While voluntary, Consumer Reports hopes that manufacturers will apply for this mark, and that consumers will look for it when it becomes available.”

The US Cyber Trust Mark embodies public-private collaboration. It connects companies, consumers and the US government by incentivising companies to build products securely against established security standards and gives consumers an added measure of assurance – through the label – that their smart device is cyber safe. The programme is open for business in 2025; companies will soon be able to submit their products for testing to earn the label.

For more information about the US Cyber Trust Mark, visit www.fcc.gov/CyberTrustMark.