I mentioned those cybersecurity labels last week – putting “energy star” like labels on smart devices to convey information. Well, they’re popular. In a new survey by Blackberry, 80% of adults said a cybersecurity “star rating” system would make them feel safer while using an internet-connected device. Trust is why. Only one in five adults thought smart speakers are safe from cyber threats, the highest-ranked device among the ten surveyed. And money talks — 64% of adults say they’re prepared to pay more for a device that has been rated as having the highest cybersecurity “star” rating.
The Biden Administration is pushing for this initiative to be rolled out in the spring – and while there does appear to be industry support, so far, there are few specifics about the idea, particularly around whether or not it will be mandatory and how exactly the label will measure device security. The basic idea – NIST will publish standards, and a third-party licensing body (that still needs to be created), will rate the products.
Why do we care?
It’s early days on the initiative, so it’s a fact of the state of play rather than a criticism. Any program starts … somewhere. The key learning here is that customers like visibility when trust is at stake, visibility matters.
Ponder the idea of these kinds of labels more broadly on tech. Perhaps even on services. Here’s your marketing idea – consider this proactively.