Washington, DC, Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – Despite efforts by Washington to limit their presence, the number of Chinese-manufactured internet-connected devices on U.S. corporate networks continues to rise, according to a report shared exclusively with Axios April 2. 1
The following report is compiled using the above report.
As tensions escalate between the U.S. and China, concerns have grown over the potential for Chinese manufacturers operating within the country to gather information about American users and businesses at the behest of the Chinese government.
According to the latest report from Forescout, in the past year, the number of internet-connected devices made by Chinese companies on U.S. enterprise networks increased by 41%.
Researchers estimate that as of February, nearly 300,000 devices from 473 Chinese manufacturers were operating on U.S. networks, constituting 3.8% of all internet-connected devices. This marks a significant rise from the approximately 185,000 devices identified in February 2023.
To identify these devices, researchers initially identified over 5,000 device vendors with Chinese addresses registered in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Organizationally Unique Identifier database.
They then searched Forescout’s repository of connected enterprise devices for those tied to digital addresses associated with these vendors. Notable vendors on the list include well-known names like Xiaomi and Hikvision.
The Biden administration has undertaken various initiatives to address security risks associated with Chinese manufacturers.
In February, the Commerce Department initiated a security probe into internet-connected vehicles from Chinese automakers, and the president signed an executive order directing the Coast Guard to establish new cybersecurity requirements for China-owned and -manufactured cranes in the U.S.
The administration has also supported congressional efforts to compel ByteDance to divest its share in TikTok.
Despite these measures, Chinese-manufactured devices continue to proliferate on U.S. networks, with nearly 60% of the identified devices categorized as computers or mobile devices.
Surveillance equipment accounted for 4% of the devices, while video conferencing tools and internet networking equipment comprised 4% and 2%, respectively.
In a concerning development, Chinese-manufactured devices were also found to have a significant presence on U.S. government networks, with over 21,000 devices identified on networks associated with government organizations. Notably, about 11.5% of these devices were cameras and surveillance equipment manufactured by Honeywell.
- Chinese-made Tech: https://www.axios.com/2024/04/02/china-internet-devices-us-networks[↩]
