FCC May Have Axed Smart Home Security Upgrade
▼ Summary
– The US Cyber Trust Mark Program, a cybersecurity certification for smart home devices, is in jeopardy as its lead administrator, UL Solutions, has withdrawn.
– The program’s future is uncertain following an FCC investigation into UL Solutions’ connections to China.
– This potential shutdown follows the FCC’s recent rollback of other cybersecurity rules for telecom companies after a 2024 hack.
– The program was launched in 2025 to label compliant products with a shield icon but has not yet appeared on any goods.
– The FCC has not commented on whether the program will continue following the administrator’s departure.
A major initiative designed to boost cybersecurity for everyday smart home devices now faces an uncertain future. The US Cyber Trust Mark Program, a labeling effort modeled after the successful Energy Star system, appears to be stalling less than a year after its public debut. This setback follows the announcement from safety testing firm UL Solutions that it is resigning as the program’s lead administrator. The company’s departure comes just months after the Federal Communications Commission initiated a review of the program, examining its connections to China.
Without its primary administrator, the certification initiative is effectively in a state of limbo, though no official termination has been announced. This potential shutdown would not mark the first cybersecurity program altered by the FCC recently. Late last year, the commission reversed cybersecurity rules for telecommunications companies that were established following the disruptive 2024 Salt Typhoon hack. Furthermore, FCC Chair Brendan Carr has taken a firm stance on testing laboratories, launching an investigation earlier this year and subsequently revoking the certifications of several facilities based in China that were deemed non-compliant.
Originally unveiled in 2023, the Cyber Trust Mark Program was a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s strategy to improve digital safety in American homes. The concept was straightforward: products meeting a defined set of cybersecurity benchmarks would receive a distinctive shield logo for their packaging, providing consumers with a clear, trusted signal of a device’s security posture, similar to how Energy Star denotes efficiency. The program officially launched at the CES 2025 trade show. However, to date, no products have actually begun carrying the certification mark on store shelves. The FCC has not provided any immediate comment regarding the ultimate fate of the program or its potential path forward.
(Source: The Verge)
