74% say connected cars and EV chargers need cybersecurity ratings

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Almost 3 in 4 people think that connected cars and electric vehicle chargers should be rated for their ability to resist cybersecurity threats. That's the finding from a survey conducted last week by Blackberry to see whether people consider Internet-connected devices (also known as the Internet of Things) to be secure from hacking threats.

The survey was commissioned in response to a new White House initiative announced on Wednesday. The Biden administration plans to launch a labeling program for IoT devices in 2023, similar to the EnergyStar ratings that tell consumers how much electricity a TV or appliance will use.

The White House wants the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Trade Commission to come up with a basic set of security standards so that Americans can tell at a glance whether that new speaker or washing machine is in danger of joining a botnet or getting hit with ransomware.

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