Today, Samsung announced its participation in the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program, also known as the Internet of Things Labeling Initiative. The program, initiated by the Biden Administration and Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger, aims to provide smart device customers with clear information about the security of the products they intend to buy.
The proposal was forwarded by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, and the launch of the U.S. Cyber Trustmark program was announced on July 18 at the White House Auditorium.
The conference was attended by government leaders and tech sector representatives. Samsung's participation was represented by Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Jaeyeon Jung.
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IoT products sold in the USA will get a new label by 2024
According to Jessica Rosenworcel, “Smart devices make our lives easier and more efficient […].” However, they also pose a higher security risk. “[…] increased interconnection also brings increased security and privacy risks.”
The purpose of the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program is to create new labels that can inform customers about security and privacy concerns for IoT devices. These labels will appear on product packaging alongside a QR code, which, once scanned, offers additional information. The image below (via FCC) shows what this certification mark could look like once the program is fully implemented by 2024.
Presumably, the information provided by the accompanying QR code will shed more light on the level of security a product offers, the kind of personal data it might share, how it stores passwords and sensitive data, how it communicates with other devices, and so on.
During the discussion at the White House, Samsung EVP Jaeyeon Jung said the company is committed to engaging with all stakeholders in the development of the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark initiative. The company says this is a high-priority undertaking for Samsung. Jaeyeon Jung relayed that the company wants to “play a leading role in the consumer education campaign, which is essential to the label's success.”
Samsung underlined that SmartThings is “not only a secure platform but also one that is open and interoperable.” As it is, SmartThing devices must undergo extensive security testing to guarantee secure connections among all devices. And once the program is implemented, Samsung intends to obtain the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark label for its SmartThing devices and help customers better understand the IoT products they're buying.
Image credit: Samsung
