Microsoft says the popular routers have been used in cyberattacks
It's not just TikTok that's in trouble over cybersecurity. U.S. authorities are investigating TP-Link, a Chinese company that holds 65% of the U.S. market for home and small-business routers, for potential national security risks, the Wall Street Journal reports today.
The companys routers have been linked to cyberattacks targeting Western organizations and government agencies.
Key points
- Security Concerns: Microsoft found that Chinese hackers used TP-Link routers in cyberattacks.
- Government Probes: Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments are investigating, with a potential U.S. ban on TP-Link devices under consideration for next year.
- Router Flaws: TP-Link routers are often shipped with unaddressed security vulnerabilities.
TP-Link denies the claims, stating it follows industry security standards. If banned, this would be the largest removal of Chinese telecom equipment from the U.S. since Huawei in 2019. The investigation reflects broader concerns about supply chain security in telecommunications.
We welcome any opportunities to engage with the U.S. government to demonstrate that our security practices are fully in line with industry security standards, and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the U.S. market, U.S. consumers, and addressing U.S. national security risks, a spokeswoman for TP-Link's U.S. distributor said.
If the routers are banned, it would mark the biggest extraction of Chinese telecom equipment from the country since the Trump administration in 2019 ordered Huawei Technologies' equipment removed from infrastructure in the U.S.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-12-18 16:47:03
