What is the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark?
As the presence of smart appliances in homes expands, cyber security is at the forefront of many consumers’ minds. Read on to learn more about the brand-new U.S. Cyber Trust Mark and how AjMadison is adapting to its rollout to educate consumers.
While smart refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, and other connected appliances provide unprecedented convenience to consumers’ daily routines, many are still left wondering, “Just how secure are smart appliances really?” According to Forbes, smart home appliances tackle two crucial challenges – to enhance aging in place with a growing proportion of older Americans and to aid sustainability efforts that lower the carbon footprint of many consumers. However, low trust in these new technologies, especially in older demographics, can negate these efforts as homeowners opt for appliances without them. To assuage this reluctance, the federal government announced last year that they would be rolling out the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program by the end of 2024.
Why is the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark Being Initiated?
Since nearly 70% of home appliances have smart capabilities, this initiative aims to alleviate security concerns beyond simply suggesting they turn off their appliances’ Wi-Fi connectivity. Now, the appliance authorities at AjMadison can direct consumers to participating brands that have taken extra steps to improve security measures.
There’s no question that aging people prefer to live in place. Smart home devices can help people maintain their independence well into their golden years. For example, a caretaker or their adult children can monitor their home appliances (and turn the oven off remotely), or schedule service calls. Smart home appliances make it easier to cook at home with scan-to-cook features that read bar codes on frozen meals and automatically set the oven or microwave to the right settings. Select refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines can even connect with Amazon Dash to automatically order soap, detergent, or even groceries. In some cases, onerous chores that would have required extra time and physical strain to perform can now be completed with a finger swipe on your smartphone.
How is AjMadison Preparing for This?
At present, LG is one of the first major brands to sign on to the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program, but many more are sure to follow. As the program grows, it will be imperative for our sales and showroom teams to be familiar with the program. Once promotional materials are available, AjMadison will make it easy for shoppers to identify products with the US Cyber Mark certification through search filters on our site, badges, and accompanying manuals and spec sheets, among other means. Assuming the project launches by the end of the year, our staff and clientele will be fully prepared for its promotion during the holiday season. Many of our pro partners report having conversations with homeowners when planning smart home infrastructure, so this will be an important talking point going forward.
The Future of the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark Program
Many speculate that the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program will help homeowners choose smart appliances with exceptional cyber security features in the same way that ENERGY STAR® helps them choose more efficient products. The appliance authorities at AjMadison agree with this sentiment. Instead of the big yellow ENERGY STAR® tag, products will come with a special label indicating that the products have met specific cybersecurity criteria published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). They will also come with a QR code linking to a national registry of certified devices to provide consumers with specific and comparable security information about these smart products.
There is still additional groundwork to be done in determining the security standards for some higher-risk product categories before this initiative gains widespread awareness and acceptance. It will also take some time for participating manufacturers to update their product lines to comply with the new list of cybersecurity standards. Assuming the government approves cybersecurity labeling requirements by the end of 2024, consumers should expect in-market consumers to have a basic awareness of the program within the next two years and more mainstream knowledge of the program in the next five years.
