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Consumers have become accustomed to all sorts of labels and seals of approval on products in the shopping process, from the Energy Star to sustainability standards. Next up, shoppers should prepare for a hacking-safe seal of approval in the works for home gadgets and appliances coming from the federal government.

Last July, the Biden administration and the Federal Communications Commission proposed the creation of the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program, a voluntary cybersecurity product-labeling initiative to help consumers choose internet-connected devices that are certified by manufacturers as safe from hackers, scammers and other cyber criminals.

The final details are still to be determined, but as proposed, the program will require participating manufacturers of smart, internet of things (IoT) devices — including doorbell cameras, voice-activated speakers, baby monitors, TVs, kitchen appliances, thermostats and fitness trackers — to meet a series of cybersecurity standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). That includes unique passwords, data protection, software patches and updates, and incident detection capabilities.

Not included in the program, as it now stands, are smartphones, personal computers, routers and certain internet-connected medical devices, such as smart thermometers and CPAP machines, which are protected by Federal Drug Administration regulations. Also excluded are motor vehicles and the data stored in them, which are overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and where data privacy concerns have been rising.

The program will rely on public-private collaboration, with the FTC providing oversight and enforcement, and approved third-party label administrators managing activities such as evaluating product applications, authorizing use of the label and consumer education. Compliance testing will be handled by accredited labs.

Packaging for products that meet the criteria will carry a U.S. Cyber Trust Mark shield logo emblazoned with a QR code that consumers can scan on a smartphone to receive detailed, up-to-date security information about that particular device. “Just like the Energy Star logo helps consumers know what devices are energy efficient, the Cyber Trust Mark will help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions about device privacy and security,” said FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

To date, Amazon, Best Buy, Google, LG Electronics U.S.A., Logitech and Samsung Electronics have committed to the program, though none of those companies has yet to use the symbol.

Holiday season labeling is goal, but an unlikely one

In March, the FCC voted to approve the program, aiming to launch it later this year. During a cybersecurity panel discussion in May at Auburn University’s McCrary Institute in Washington, Nicholas Leiserson, the White House’s assistant national cyber director for cyber policy and programs, said, “You should hopefully, by the holiday season, start to see devices that have this [Cyber Trust Mark] on it.”

Despite the administration’s best intentions, however, consumers shouldn’t expect to see products bearing the symbol until early next year, at the soonest. In an email asking about the timeline for the launch, an FCC spokesperson did not provide any specific dates.

“We are now in the process of standing up this comprehensive program as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said. “It is currently undergoing the standard intergovernmental review process that is required for new rules of this sort. Once that process is complete, we will communicate publicly about next steps.”

In the meantime, manufacturers are also awaiting definitive rules, said David Grossman, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for the Consumer Technology Association, which represents more than 1,000 tech companies. “Once a manufacturer receives certification for the Trust Mark, they will need additional time to retool their packaging, as well as shipping updated products from the manufacturer to retailers,” he said.

70 million U.S. homes actively using smart devices

While the program’s particulars are being hammered out, it’s worth looking at why consumers need the protection it will provide. In 2024, according to research firm Statista, nearly 70 million homes in the U.S. are actively using smart devices, up more than 10% from last year. That number is expected to reach 100 million homes by 2028. What’s more, the average U.S. household contains around 25 connected devices.

Many of those devices, as well as the Wi-Fi networks and routers that connect them, lack adequate security safeguards. A 2023 study by research firm Park Associates found that nearly 75% of U.S. households with internet service were concerned about the security of their personal data, while 54% reported experiencing a data privacy or security issue in the past 12 months, an increase of 50% over five years.

Staffers from Consumer Reports attended a White House meeting during which the Cyber Trust Mark program was announced. The organization subsequently conducted an American Experiences Survey that included questions about the program and the types of data-protection information consumers would like to have before purchasing a smart device.

About two-thirds of those polled (69%) said that it is very important to have information about who the collected data is shared with or sold to, and 92% said that such information is either very or somewhat important. Three out of four respondents said that it is the responsibility of the manufacturers of those devices to provide privacy and security information to consumers, while only 8% said the government is responsible.

“It is incredibly important to make a consumer-legible standard for IoT devices, because right now it is totally a Wild West,” said Stacey Higginbotham, a cybersecurity expert and writer for Consumer Reports. “Consumers really care about having this kind of information, so that’s why we need the program.”

Higginbotham cited the breadth of the proposed program for requiring more stringent levels of cybersecurity, not only for devices themselves, but also the internet services that connect them and the cloud networks where personal data is stored. She was glad, too, that it includes a guaranteed support timeframe, stipulating the number of years that a product maker will continue to provide software security updates and patches.

A voluntary program is business reality

One criticism is that the program is voluntary for manufacturers. “I would love to see this as a mandatory program,” Higginbotham said, “but the reality in the U.S. is that it will have to be a voluntary program,” she added, referring to the business community’s frequent pushback against government-mandated regulations.

“If you’re going to participate, you’re going to have to meet the requirements the FCC has established. Device manufacturers don’t want the agency dictating things such as the size of the Cyber Trust Mark on packaging or where exactly it has to be displayed,” Grossman said. “You want something that’s easily recognizable to consumers, but you also want to ensure manufacturers have flexibility.”

Grossman said that means companies may shy away from making the commitment if the final proposal is too prescriptive. “If the requirements are too burdensome, I don’t think that companies are going to be as eager to step up to the plate and participate,” he said.

Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout Technologies, a cybersecurity provider, says he is a big fan of the Cyber Trust Mark. “It’s a good step in the right direction to making it a little bit more complicated to get into these devices,” he said. Nonetheless, he worries about the millions of IoT devices in people’s homes today that are vulnerable to cyberattacks and can’t retroactively get a label. “What responsibility do the companies creating these devices have?” he said. Some of the more popular products, like smart TVs and door locks, could be voluntarily upgraded by their manufacturers to prevent hacking as a goodwill measure, Mainz said, “so that people that couldn’t afford to go out and buy new things could ensure that they were safe.”

Steps to take now to protect your home internet

There are actions consumers can take right now, before the Cyber Trust Mark program kicks in, to harden their cybersecurity. Perhaps the most important component to focus on are the routers that wirelessly interconnect devices. They ship from manufacturers with a default password, which a hacker could change in order to spy on you or access files on a network-attached hard drive. Immediately create your own strong and unique password, not only for the router but also for each of the connected devices, and use two-factor authentication if available. If you have a guest network on the router, set it up with a separate password. Also be sure the router’s software is current, usually by activating the automatic update feature, though you can check the manufacturer’s website for patches that can be downloaded and installed.

Of course, you could take the Luddite approach and simply avoid all of this IoT technology and devices. But for the millions of consumers who embrace the smart home, the Cyber Trust Mark — once it’s in place — should provide a heightened measure of cybersecurity and keep them one step ahead, or at least in the race, with the bad guys.

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Shares in Chinese chipmaker SMIC drop nearly 7% after earnings miss

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 Shares in Chinese chipmaker SMIC drop nearly 7% after earnings miss

A logo hangs on the building of the Beijing branch of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) on December 4, 2020 in Beijing, China.

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images

Shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China’s largest contract chip maker, fell nearly 7% Friday after its first-quarter earnings missed estimates.

After trading on Thursday, the company reported a first-quarter revenue of $2.24 billion, up about 28% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, profit attributable to shareholders surged 162% year on year to $188 million.

However, both figures missed LSEG mean estimates of $2.34 billion in revenue and $225.1 million in net income, as well as the company’s own forecasts.

During an earnings call Friday, an SMIC representative said the earnings missed original guidance due to “production fluctuations” which sent blended average selling prices falling. This impact is expected to extend into the second quarter, they added.

For the current quarter, the chipmaker forecasted revenue to fall 4% to 6% sequentially. Gross margin is also expected to fall within the range of 18% to 20%, compared to 22.5% in the first quarter.

Still, the first quarter saw SMIC’s wafer shipments increase by 15% from the previous quarter and by about 28% year-on-year.

In the earnings call, SMIC attributed that growth to customer shipment pull in, brought by changes in geopolitics and increased demand driven by government policies such as domestic trade-in programs and consumption subsidies.

In another positive sign for the company, its first-quarter capacity utilization— the percentage of total available manufacturing capacity that is being used at any given time— reached 89.6%, up 4.1% quarter on quarter.

Demand in China for chips is extremely strong, says Benchmark's Cody Acree

“SMIC’s nearly 90% utilization rate reflects strong domestic demand for semiconductors, likely driven by smartphone and consumer electronics production,” said Ray Wang, a Washington-based semiconductor and technology analyst, adding that the demand was also reflected in the company’s strong quarterly revenue growth.

Meanwhile, the company said in the earnings call that it is “currently in an important period of capacity construction, roll out, and continuously increasing market share.”

However, SMIC’s first-quarter research and development spending decreased to $148.9 million, down from $217 million in the previous quarter.

Amid increased demand, it will be crucial for SMIC to continue ramping up their capacity, Simon Chen, principal analyst of semiconductor manufacturing at Informa Tech told CNBC.

SMIC generates most of its revenue from older-generation semiconductors, often referred to as “mature-node” or “legacy” chips, which are commonly found in consumer electronics and industrial equipment.

The state-backed chipmaker is critical to Beijing’s ambitions to build a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain, with the government pumping billions into such efforts. Over 84% of its first-quarter revenue was derived from customers in China.

“The localization transformation of the supply chain has been strengthened, and more manufacturing demand has shifted back domestically,” a representative said Friday.

However, chip analysts say the chipmaker’s ability to increase capacity in advance chips — used in applications that demand higher levels of computing performance and efficiency at higher yields — is limited.

This is due to U.S.-led export controls, which prevent it from accessing some of the world’s most advanced chip-making equipment from the Netherlands-based ASML. 

Nevertheless, the chipmaker appears to be making some breakthroughs. Advanced chips manufactured by SMIC have reportedly appeared in various Huawei products, notably in the Mate 60 Pro smartphone and some AI processors.

In the earnings call, the company also said it would closely monitor the potential impacts of the U.S.-China trade war on its demand, noting a lack of visibility for the second half of the year.

Phelix Lee, an equity analyst for Morningstar focused on semiconductors, told CNBC that the impacts of U.S. tariffs on SMIC are limited due to most of its revenue coming from Chinese customers.

While U.S. customers make up about 8-15% of revenue on a quarterly basis, the chips usually remain and are consumed in Chinese products and end users, he said.

“There could be some disruption to chemical, gas, and equipment supply; but the firm is working on alternatives in China and other non-U.S. regions,” he added.

SMIC’s Hong Kong-listed shares have gained over 32.23% year-to-date.

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Amazon adds pet prescriptions to its online pharmacy

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Amazon adds pet prescriptions to its online pharmacy

Close-up of a hand holding a cellphone displaying the Amazon Pharmacy system, Lafayette, California, September 15, 2021. 

Smith Collection | Gado | Getty Images

Amazon is expanding its online pharmacy to fill prescription pet medications, the company announced Thursday.

The company said it has added “hundreds of commonly prescribed pet medications” to its U.S. site, ranging from flea and tick solutions to treatments for chronic conditions.

Prescriptions are purchased via Amazon’s storefront and must be approved by a veterinarian. Online pet pharmacy Vetsource will oversee the dispensing and delivery of medications, said Amazon, adding that items are typically delivered within two to six days.

Amazon launched its digital drugstore in 2020 with the added perk of discounts and free delivery for Prime members. The company has been working to speed up prescription shipments over the past year, bringing same-day delivery to a handful of U.S. cities. Last October, Amazon set a goal to make speedy medicine delivery available in nearly half of the U.S. in 2025.

The new pet medication offerings puts Amazon into more direct competition with online pet pharmacy Chewy, as well as Walmart, which offers pet prescription delivery.

Amazon Pharmacy is part of the company’s growing stable of healthcare offerings, which also includes One Medical, the primary care provider it acquired for roughly $3.9 billion in July 2022. Amazon’s online pharmacy was born out of the company’s 2018 acquisition of online pharmacy PillPack.

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Coinbase acquires crypto derivatives exchange Deribit for $2.9 billion

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Coinbase acquires crypto derivatives exchange Deribit for .9 billion

The Coinbase logo is displayed on a smartphone with stock market percentages on the background.

Omar Marques | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Coinbase agreed to acquire Dubai-based Deribit, a major crypto derivatives exchange, for $2.9 billion, the largest deal in the crypto industry to date.

The company said Thursday that the cost comprises $700 million in cash and 11 million shares of Coinbase class A common stock. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.

Shares of Coinbase rose nearly 6%.

The acquisition positions Coinbase as an international leader in crypto derivatives by open interest and options volume, Greg Tusar, vice president of institutional product, said in a blog post – which could allow it take on big players like Binance. Coinbase operates the largest marketplace for buying and selling cryptocurrencies within the U.S., but has a smaller share of the global crypto market, where activity largely takes place on Binance.

Deribit facilitated more than $1 trillion in trading volume last year and has about $30 billion of current open interest on the platform.

“We’re excited to join forces with Coinbase to power a new era in global crypto derivatives,” Deribit CEO Luuk Strijers said in a statement. “As the leading crypto options platform, we’ve built a strong, profitable business, and this acquisition will accelerate the foundation we laid while providing traders with even more opportunities across spot, futures, perpetuals, and options – all under one trusted brand. Together with Coinbase, we’re set to shape the future of the global crypto derivatives market.”

Tusar also noted that Deribit has a “consistent track record” of generating positive adjusted EBITDA the company believes will grow as a combined entity.  

“One of the things we liked most about this deal is that it’s not just a game changer for our international expansion plans — it immediately diversifies our revenue and enhances profitability,” Tusar told CNBC.

The deal comes at a time when the crypto industry is riding regulatory tailwinds from the first ever pro-crypto White House. Support of the industry has fueled crypto M&A activity in recent weeks. In March, crypto exchange Kraken agreed to acquire NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, and last month Ripple agreed to buy prime broker Hidden Road.

Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC Pro:

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