FCC Bans Foreign Routers Over Chinese Cyber Threat Concerns

By Steven Richards | Just the News

The Federal Communications Commission took radical action this week to ban the import of internet routers manufactured in foreign countries, citing the unacceptable security risks posed by Chinese hackers to U.S. critical infrastructure.

Internet routers connect computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices to the internet. In the modern, digital economy, routers are everywhere, used by citizens, businesses, schools, utility providers, emergency services, and the U.S. military. More than 90% of Americans use the internet daily. In most cases, that service comes through an internet router, whether at home, their place of work, or in public. 

In recent years, Chinese hackers have extensively burrowed into U.S. critical infrastructure networks — in industries like communications, energy, transportation, and water supply — in the continental U.S. and overseas territories, like Guam. 

Foreign-made routers leave a secret back door to data intrusion

The FCC specifically cited three rounds of intrusions, known as the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks, which pursued targets ranging from energy utilities to communications data on U.S. citizens. The agency says that foreign routers were vital in opening the door for the Chinese hackers who exploited built-in vulnerabilities. 

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