This is an opinion piece. The views are the author’s own.
When you buy a $60 camera, a baby monitor or a smart plug, the box tells you the resolution, the range and the app it works with. It almost never tells you the one thing that decides whether the product is safe in year three: how long the maker will keep sending security updates.
That should change, and a government-backed label could be the way to do it.
The Question Nobody Answers
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty made the same point last month at a Consumer Technology Association event, as reported by Nextgov. Shoppers can easily compare a camera’s price and picture quality, she said, but struggle to judge its security or how long the manufacturer will support it. A parent buying a baby monitor, she added, shouldn’t have to become a cybersecurity expert first.
She’s right. I can’t evaluate a company’s patching habits from a product page. Neither can you. So we guess, usually by brand, and we’re often wrong.
The Label Is Coming. Slowly.
The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark is a voluntary program that is often compared to Energy Star. Products that qualify will carry a label with a QR code linking to security information, including how long the maker promises to provide security updates and how to configure the device securely. In April, the FCC chose the ioXt Alliance as lead administrator, according to Nextgov.
Here’s the catch: as of late October no products carry the mark. The FCC still has to finish technical requirements and testing procedures, then accredit the labs that will certify products. Trusty told the audience she hopes shoppers will see labeled products within a year. Back in January 2025, a White House official expected them on shelves that year. That didn’t happen.
What I Want
Three things, and none is radical.
- An end date on the box. “Security updates through December 2030” is a fact a shopper can use. If a maker won’t print one, that’s an answer too.
- No pretending the label is a guarantee. Trusty herself said it can’t promise a product will never face a threat, and an FCC official noted that certified devices still need to be set up properly. Fair enough. A label is a starting point, not a shield.
- Makers who sign up early. A testing-firm executive told Nextgov that manufacturers can start now by looking for weaknesses and planning how to deliver updates. Nothing is stopping them.
What to Do Until Then
Before you buy a connected device, look on the maker’s support site for any statement about how long updates will last. If you can’t find one, treat the device as disposable and keep it off anything sensitive. Once it’s home, turn on automatic updates and change the default password. Our guide to turning on automatic updates covers phones and computers.
The best gift a smart-home company could give us this holiday season is a date. Until the label shows up, we should keep asking for one.
More on Contoh
- How to Turn On Automatic Updates on Your iPhone, Android, Windows PC and Mac
- How to Check Whether an Unknown Tracker Is Following You (iPhone and Android)
- How to Check Whether Your Passwords Have Been Leaked (iPhone and Chrome)