Investigations looking into a potential sales ban for TP-Link wireless routers in the U.S. next year were reported by the Wall Street Journal to have been conducted by the Justice, Defense, and Commerce departments amid escalating Chinese state-sponsored intrusions against the said devices, Ars Technica reports.
While TP-Link — which has its internet devices used by federal agencies, including the Defense Department — was claimed by the WSJ's sources to have frequently provided vulnerable products and failed to collaborate with security researchers who have identified issues in their offerings, officials have yet to provide evidence linking the firm to Chinese state-backed attacks. Such a development comes after a Commerce Department probe into the firm was urged by House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party leaders.
"TP-Link's unusual degree of vulnerabilities and required compliance with [People's Republic of China] law are in and of themselves disconcerting. When combined with the PRC government's common use of SOHO routers like TP-Link to perpetrate extensive cyberattacks in the United States, it becomes significantly alarming," said the lawmakers in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
