US Investigates Chinese-Made TP-Link Routers Tied to Cyberattacks

Dec 18, 2024, 06:30 PM

US authorities are investigating Chinese router manufacturer TP-Link, which holds roughly 65% of the US home router market and is the bestselling router on Amazon, over potential national security risks. Federal agencies including the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Justice have opened probes into TP-Link due to concerns that its routers, used in millions of American homes and small businesses, have security vulnerabilities linked to Chinese cyberattacks. Microsoft has reported that a Chinese hacking entity maintains a large network of compromised devices, mostly comprising thousands of TP-Link routers, which have been used to launch cyberattacks. The routers are reportedly used by Amazon and hundreds of internet service providers. The investigation could lead to a ban on the sale of TP-Link routers in the US as early as 2025. This would be one of the largest moves to remove Chinese telecommunications equipment from the US market since the Huawei ban in 2019.