Dive Brief:
- The White House is set to roll out a plan for a labeling system to rate the cyber resilience of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, according to a Tuesday White House cyber fact sheet. A workshop is scheduled for Oct. 19 with about 50 different organizations represented, according to Cyberscoop.
- The White House will convene a group of private sector businesses, associations and government partners and to discuss the labeling plan. It would be modeled after the Energy Star system used to rank the energy efficiency of computers, air conditioners and other appliances.
- Officials plan to start the labeling effort by rating the security of routers and home cameras, noting the devices are some of the most highly used and at-risk used by consumers.
Dive Insight:
Cybersecurity experts have called for an IoT security rating system for many years.
Gartner VP Analyst Katell Thielemann noted the specific plan emanated from the Cybersecurity Solarium Commission and was originally proposed as a nonprofit called the National Cybersecurity Certification and Labeling Authority.
“This effort will be most effective to raise awareness of consumer grade connected systems, which have been problematic since most consumers don’t have clue about the security of the products they buy,” Thielemann said.
In 2018, the group Public Knowledge called for the adoption of an Energy Star type system for rating the cybersecurity of IoT products.
President Biden raised the Energy Star labeling system in 2021, when he signed an executive order to boost the nation’s cybersecurity. Biden called for such a regime to label the security of software products.
It is not immediately clear whether the new plan will extend Energy Star labeling beyond IoT or what the timetable is to expand beyond routers and cameras.
According to a CyberScoop report, Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, will spearhead the effort to establish cybersecurity ratings on these products.
