- If we set aside geopolitics and purely consider whether tightening the security of private networks is sensible whatsoever: are routers a substantially bigger threat than client devices such as the various IoT knickknacks (smart TVs, smart switches/outlets, smart appliances, etc.)? Controlling the NAT/firewall features is handy for opening ports and working around VLAN segmentation, but that isn't required for many scenarios; a compromised client device can often snoop on the rest of the network and exfiltrate what it discovers just fine even with an uncompromised router.
- Cisco been hiding this in plain sight since 2004:
https://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD4291.pdf
Love seeing pop up like it’s new or something.
- This is just geopolitics. You should've seen what the US and Europe did during the Cold War.
by drivingmenuts
1 subcomments
- If I was more paranoid, I'd start thinking the ban is to make it easier to spy on us by limiting our choices to a few domestic vendors who can be coerced by regulatory capture and "for the kids" political rhetoric.
by kevincloudsec
0 subcomment
- the ban covers all foreign-made consumer routers but practically every router is manufactured abroad, even the ones sold by American companies. the only domestic exception is Starlink, iirc
- My company new installation now use Siemens routers. It seems a few will keep Cisco though, so we have yet another provider. More work for me I guess.
by soumyaskartha
1 subcomments
- The audacity of banning others for doing exactly what you got caught doing. At least be subtle about
by juliusceasar
1 subcomments
- Israel did the same in Netherlands with the biggest telecom KPN.
by mikkupikku
0 subcomment
- > country which once exploited an attack vector is now trying to protect itself on that vector
I have no doubt that American efforts at security on this front are inadaquate, incompetent, etc. But hypocritical? Nah.
- Um, this is not an example of hypocrisy? If I punch you in the nose, I am not a hypocrite if I block your attempt to punch me back.
- [dead]
by ChrisArchitect
0 subcomment
- [dupe] Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47495344
- A USA company bought an Indian OS to turn into it's SOHO router/firewall product. The results are exactly what you would have expected:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4COrX9YHcU
- > Country that put backdoors into Cisco routers to spy on world bans foreign routers
Says the tech rag hailing from the 5-eyes nation known as the UK...
Hacker News