US bans new foreign-made consumer internet routers
US bans new foreign-made consumer internet routers over national security concerns. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added all consumer-grade routers made outside the US to a list of equipment seen as not secure enough for use, in an update on Monday. The FCC said, "Malicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft."
The ban applies to all "new device models," but people will still be able to use foreign-made routers they already own. Any new router made outside the US will now need to be approved by the FCC before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the country. Companies manufacturing routers outside the US must apply for conditional approval through a process that requires disclosing the firm's foreign investors or influence, as well as a plan to bring the manufacturing of the routers to the US. Certain routers may be exempted from the list if they are deemed acceptable by the Department of Defence or the Department of Homeland Security.
The FCC noted that malicious access to routers was involved in three cyberattacks - referred to as Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon - aimed at US infrastructure between 2024 and 2025. US government investigations into those attacks blamed actors within, or working on behalf of, the Chinese government. The FCC's move follows a decision on Friday by government agencies working on national security that internet routers made overseas "posed unacceptable risks" to the US.
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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has made a significant move regarding internet routers. This decision has implications for both consumers and manufacturers - but what could they be?
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