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Buy devices that will keep getting security updates
Why it matters: A device that stops getting updates stays vulnerable forever. Knowing the support period before you buy saves replacing it early or living with an open door.
Do it
- Look for the maker's stated security-update period on the box or product page.
- Don't wait for the FCC's U.S. Cyber Trust Mark: the label isn't on products yet. When it arrives, its QR code is meant to show how long the device will be supported.
- Avoid devices that require an account but offer no MFA.
- Factory-reset and remove from your account any device you sell, give away or recycle.
Check it worked: Before buying a connected device, you check how long the maker promises security updates, and you factory-reset devices before selling or recycling them.
Simply put
It's like checking the warranty before you buy: here, the warranty is security updates. A device that stops getting them stays vulnerable for good, so the support period is the number to compare.
In detail
The Cyber Trust Mark is a voluntary label that hasn't reached store shelves yet (the glossary entry tracks its status), so its absence isn't proof of a bad product. The support period is the more useful number to compare, and it also tells you how long the device will keep receiving cryptography upgrades.
Points toward the Long View: devices bought knowing how long they'll keep getting fixes and newer encryption.