According to the Washington Post, U.S. authorities are considering banning the sale of TP-Link network routers in the country because of concerns that the Chinese company poses a national security risk.
The U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Justice are currently investigating the company and may ban sales of TP-Link routers in the country starting next year. The Wall Street Journal saysciting people familiar with the matter.
The Justice Department is investigating whether TP-Link used monopolistic practices, including selling products below cost, to gain an advantage in the U.S. market.
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The company also received a subpoena from the Commerce Department’s office, the report said.
The review of TP-Link comes as U.S. officials investigate a massive “cyber espionage” campaign by a Chinese hacker group called Salt Typhoon, which authorities say stole vast troves of data on U.S. phone calls. Family members of US President-elect Trump and officials in Joe Biden's administration is the target.
Hackers have penetrated at least eight U.S. telecommunications providers by compromising equipment such as routers and switches. officials said.
And U.S. lawmakers— some of them Describing the Salt Typhoon leak as “the largest telecommunications hack in the country's history”, it is now calling for better security protocols.
Meanwhile, TP-Link has become a major supplier of routers in the United States. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese company's share of the U.S. home and small business router market has grown from 20% before the epidemic to 65% this year.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the company’s market share increased by another 5% in the third quarter of this year alone.
TP-Link routers are also used by various US agencies, including NASA and the Department of Defense.
A ban on TP-Link equipment “would cause upheaval in the router market,” the report noted, adding that it would be the largest ban since Trump ordered a ban on Chinese telecom equipment imports from the country during his first term. One action. Remove device from China Huawei Technologies Company Infrastructure from the United States.
Known vulnerabilities
Concerns about TP-Link equipment He also spoke out in August this year In the United States, two lawmakers called on the Biden administration to investigate whether the company and its affiliates pose any national security risks.
Lawmakers cited known vulnerabilities in TP-Link's firmware and instances of its routers being exploited to attack government officials in European countries.
Last year, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency also stated that TP-Link routers had a vulnerability that could be exploited to execute remote code.
Around the same time, U.S. security firm Check Point reported that hackers linked to Chinese state-backed groups were using TP-Link's malicious firmware implants to target European diplomats.
In addition, in October, US technology giant Microsoft says in security analysis A Chinese hacker group is using infected routers, most of which belong to TP-Link, to steal the credentials of its customers.
Microsoft said the hackers specifically targeted “organizations in North America and Europe, including think tanks, government organizations, non-governmental organizations, law firms, the defense industrial base, etc.”
Down to Trump
However, despite these concerns, The world's largest router selleralmost no steps were taken to address security concerns.
TP-Link routers often have security flaws when shipped to customers, and the company has largely failed to address them, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The company also has not engaged with security researchers who have expressed concerns about the flaws, it added.
A TP-Link spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the company's “security practices are fully consistent with industry security standards.” The spokesperson said the company has also taken steps to address known vulnerabilities.
Regardless, whether its sales ban in the United States will be enforced will depend on the incoming Trump administration. Trump has vowed to get tough on China and nominated prominent Beijing critics to his Cabinet.
During his first term, he also took sweeping steps to remove Chinese equipment from U.S. critical infrastructure.
The Commerce Department office currently responsible for reviewing TP-Link—the Office of Information Communications Technology and Services—was also created during Trump’s first term.
Also read:
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Chinese hackers behind malicious cyber operations: Australia
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U.S. says China is using artificial intelligence to boost espionage – Wall Street Journal
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