Today the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® accepted the Chairman’s Award from the World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) for its work to ensure that millions of consumers can make informed decisions about the security of the Internet-connected devices they install in their homes.
WITSA awarded CTA with its Chairman’s Award in the Public/Private Partnership category for a private sector group. WITSA also honored the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with the award for a public sector group.
Both groups were recognized for leadership in the public-private effort to develop NIST’s consumer-connected device security recommendations. Doug Johnson, CTA’s Vice President, Emerging Technology Policy, accepted the award at WITSA’s World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) in Kuching, Malaysia, on Thursday.
For more than five years, CTA worked with NIST and others to develop the framework for a voluntary national cybersecurity labeling program. The group regularly convened manufacturers, alliances, universities, consumer advocates, and CTA's own ANSI-accredited standards body to develop the foundational requirements for the program.
This public-private partnership work led to the creation of the recently proposed U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, which will help consumers identify secure products by determining: a standardized mark and QR code; what information consumers will see online; how to incorporate existing programs, such as third-party certification and self-attestation; and the technical requirements for a public registry of secure consumer products.
CTA joined the Biden Administration in announcing the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program in July 2023.
“The recommendations and the resulting U.S. Cyber Trust Mark proposal is a shining example of what can be achieved when the private sector and federal government communicate openly, listen to each other, and work cooperatively to produce real and positive results for consumers,” said Mike Bergman, CTA’s Vice President, Technology and Standards. “It’s truly an honor for CTA and our members to be recognized for this important work.”
The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program is currently the subject of a proposed rulemaking by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC.) As the FCC works out final details about how to implement the program, CTA, as the voice of the tech industry, will continue to show that government and industry can work together to strengthen incentives for participation, and work to encourage manufacturers and retailers embrace this critical program.
