White House to launch cyber labels for IoT devices

The proposed cyber labeling system would indicate which Internet of Things (IoT) devices meet cybersecurity standards.

The White House intends to kickstart the development of the label to inform consumers which IoT devices meet adhere to the “highest cybersecurity” standards and, in turn, are more resilient to hacking attempts.

According to a factsheet published by the White House, stakeholders from businesses, the government, and relevant associations should agree on the details behind the proposed label.

„By developing and rolling out a common label for products that meet by US Government standards and are tested by vetted and approved entities, we will help American consumers easily identify secure tech to bring into their homes,“ the factsheet read.

Among the first devices to be labeled are technologies considered to be most at risk by the White House, such as routers and home cameras.

Several other countries, such as Germany and Finland, employ cybersecurity labels to inform consumers about which products meet the criteria set by national cyber watchdogs.

Poor cybersecurity practices for IoT devices often result in vulnerabilities. Threat actors can easily break into cameras or other internet-facing devices that are often protected by nothing more but a default, easy-to-guess password.

Last April, Cybernews researchers discovered 380,000 remote-access public-facing from the 30 most popular brands. The team found that most of the most used cameras are shipped with default credentials, which, if not changed before use, can leave the device open for anyone interested to look. Be it a pet camera or a security device.