US Gears Up For The Launch Of A New Cybersecurity Labeling Program For Internet Linked Devices

The current US administration under President Joe Biden is all set to launch a new cybersecurity labeling program. This feature would be for all internet-connected devices and would be seen launching as early as next year.

The goal here is to better provide protection to Americans regarding great risks to the country’s national security.

In case you didn’t already know, the administration realizes how huge of a risk IoT devices possess and how they’re backed by limited security potential. Moreover, seeing the way weak passwords have caused botnet operators to carry out complete hijacking of routers is definitely alarming.

Along the way, this channels waves of internet traffic in the direction of victims and even tosses over whole websites along the way. Networks are forced to work offline. Meanwhile, other attackers are seen targeting IoT devices to gain entry into the victim’s network. This way, they make space for more attack launches and can even go about planting malware through insider means.

What’s surprising is that most American internet users are unaware of what’s going on. They continue to increase threats by adding more such devices to their surrounding. Common examples include the likes of smart speakers, security cameras, and door locks as well. Now, the government is working hard to provide awareness of how such risks can be reduced or eliminated entirely.

This particular program is getting inspiration from Energy Star that’s operated by major firms whose goal is energy conservation. Hence, the White House wants to do something very similar along those lines starting as early as next year.

The news was announced during a meeting chaired by the President and attended by device manufacturers and associated firms related to consumer products.

Other common attendees include cybercrime officials and leaders from top tech firms Google, Sony, Samsung, and Amazon. So you see, the goal here is to assist citizens of the US in better understanding which devices are good for them and which ones are harmful. In addition to that, people are going to be given the chance to identify the basic security requirements set out.

For now, there are no details regarding the specifics of this particular program. But they hope to keep things quick and simple for user convenience. But we do think it’s a great initiative.

Illustration: Freepik
Read next: New Report Says A Lot Of Work Is Being Done To Enhance The ‘Creator Economy’ With Monetization Tools
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World