April 3, 2024 at 11:30AM
A recent analysis by cybersecurity firm Forescout reveals a 40% increase in the number of Chinese-manufactured devices in US networks over the past year, despite government efforts to reduce their use due to security concerns. The devices, totaling nearly 300,000, pose cyber risks, particularly in critical infrastructure sectors. Similar increases were observed in the UK, Australia, and Singapore, while decreases were noted in Canada and Germany. These findings emphasize the need for thorough inspection of all network assets, especially those carrying additional risk due to their country of manufacture.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
– Despite efforts by the U.S. government to prevent the use of Chinese-made products in networks due to security concerns, a recent analysis by Forescout revealed an increase of over 40% in China-made devices in U.S. networks over the past year, totaling nearly 300,000 devices from 473 different manufacturers.
– The majority (88%) of these Chinese-manufactured devices in the U.S. are IT products, followed by IoT (9%), OT (2%), and IoMT (1%). Most commonly encountered are computers, mobile devices, and surveillance products, with Lenovo and Hikvision being the most widely encountered manufacturers.
– Critical infrastructure sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and government are most impacted by the increase in Chinese-made devices, with surveillance cameras from Honeywell Security China and VoIP phones from Yealink being commonly found in government networks.
– Forescout also noted that an increase in Chinese-made devices was observed in the UK, Australia, and Singapore, while decreases were seen in Canada and Germany over the past year.
– The main concern associated with the use of Chinese products is the potential for the Chinese government to leverage them for espionage or to cause disruption, possibly through intentionally planted backdoors.
– Forescout emphasized the importance of closely inspecting all devices on networks, particularly those with added risk due to their country of manufacture.
Related developments: Canada banned WeChat and Kaspersky on government phones, the Australian Defense Department is set to remove Chinese-made cameras, and CISA has warned of a flaw in Hikvision cameras as the U.S. aims to remove Chinese gear from networks.