Launched yesterday by DigiCert Inc., the USB Type-C Authentication Program is attempting to give host systems the chance to detect unaccepted USB chargers and deter maliciously-embedded hard/software in USB devices. As soon as a connection is made, the authentication process begins, allowing no inappropriate power or data to be exchanged. There are multiple benefits to a process like this: A few of them are setting a standard protocol for authentication of USB Type-C’s, relying on a 128-bit security parameter, and providing specification references for cryptographic methods with regard to certificate format, digital signing, hash, and random number generation. “As the USB Type-C ecosystem continues to grow, companies can further provide the security that consumers have come to expect from certified USB devices,” said the USB-IF President Jeff Ravecraft.