OLIVIA TRUSTY: FCCs New Cyber Trust Mark aims to make all of our smart home safer homes

Before purchasing a new refrigerator, consumers can look for the Energy Star label to understand how efficiently it uses energy.Before purchasing food at the grocery store, consumers can look for the USDA Organic label to understand how it was produced.

But before purchasing an internet-connected camera, baby monitor or door lock that we put in some of our most private spaces, consumers have no comparably simple way to know whether that device was designed to keep hackers out.The Federal Communications Commission is working to change that with the U.S.Cyber Trust Mark program.This voluntary cybersecurity labeling program is intended to make security easier to understand by helping consumers quickly identify internet-connected products that meet established cybersecurity requirements.

Some of these requirements include making sure the product protects consumer data, limits access to authorized users and securely updates software.Qualifying devices will also provide consumers with clear information about manufacturer support so that consumers do not need to become cybersecurity experts to protect themselves.WHAT A SMART FIREWALL DOES AND WHY IT MATTERS ON HOME WI-FIProducts that meet the Cyber Trust Mark requirements will ultimately display a label with a distinctive shield that quickly lets Americans know the connected product they’re bringing into their homes meets certain baseline cybersecurity requirements.

The shield will be accompanied by a QR code that consumers can scan to find accessible and up-to-date information about the product’s security.A buyer can learn, for example, how to change a factory-set password, where to find security updates and how long the manufacturer has committed to supporting the product.Shopping for high-tech equipment could get a lot more efficient thanks to the FCC's Cyber Trust Mark program.

(iStock)The FCC is working to roll out the Cyber Trust Mark program to a retailer near you by next year.FBI SAYS RUSSIAN HACKERS HIJACK...