Written by Michael MartinaWASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. congressional committee strongly advises Americans to eliminate Chinese-manufactured wireless routers from their households, specifically mentioning TP-Link devices as a security hazard that could leave the U.S. vulnerable to cyber intrusions from China. The House of Representatives Select Committee on China has urged the Commerce Department to look into TP-Link Technology Co., a prominent global seller of WiFi routers, as identified by research firm IDC. Reports suggest that U.S. authorities are contemplating a ban on the sale of TP-Link routers.
Rob Joyce, the former head of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, emphasized during the committee hearing on Wednesday that TP-Link routers could potentially expose individuals to cyberattacks, granting hackers a foothold to target critical U.S. infrastructure. Joyce stressed the importance of taking swift action to replace these devices to prevent them from being exploited in future attacks. He mentioned that the Commerce Department was reportedly considering imposing a ban on TP-Link routers.
In response to the allegations, TP-Link refuted any connection to the Chinese government, stating that no government has oversight or influence over the design and production of their routers. Jeff Barney, president of TP-Link Systems Inc., dismissed claims suggesting their products posed a unique threat to U.S. national security as groundless and unfounded. The company highlighted that it had severed ties with its former Chinese partner and now manufactures its routers in Vietnam.
Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi brandished a consumer-grade TP-Link router during the hearing, cautioning against its usage. Krishnamoorthi emphasized the potential risks associated with such devices and revealed that he also refrained from using them at home. Joyce raised concerns about the increasing capabilities of Chinese government-affiliated hackers, drawing parallels with U.S. cyber prowess. He expressed apprehensions that the downsizing of the federal workforce by the Trump administration might weaken U.S. cyber defenses.
Democratic Representative Shontel Brown criticized the Trump administration for downsizing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, leading to the dismissal of over 130 officials. In 2023, the agency warned about vulnerabilities in TP-Link routers that could be exploited for remote code execution. Krishnamoorthi advocated for a proactive approach in deterring Chinese hackers, suggesting that the U.S. should consider offensive tactics as a means of defense.
“I think that we should also consider potentially enlisting private sector actors to hack back at the hackers. I’m going to get in a lot of trouble for saying that, but I think you have to sometimes use fire against fire,” Krishnamoorthi remarked.
(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Leslie Adler)
