US EditionFCC Router Ban 2026 - Forbes Vetted
- On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission added all foreign-made consumer-grade routers to the "Covered List," effectively banning the FCC from authorizing new devices for sale in the United States.
- Executive branch agencies concluded "routers produced in a foreign country, regardless of the nationality of the producer, pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States." This determination preceded the FCC's announcement by one week.
- The restriction does not prohibit existing device models previously authorized by the FCC. Routers produced abroad were directly implicated in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks targeting critical American communications, energy, transportation, and water infrastructure.
- Manufacturers may seek "Conditional Approval" by demonstrating security and shifting production to the United States. Simon Hill at Wired notes, "The only routers I know of that are manufactured in the US are some Starlink Wi-Fi routers, which are primarily made in Texas."
- Sean Hollister at The Verge questions whether domestic production increases safety, noting that security depends on manufacturer practices. Brian Krebs wrote that devices require "forcing users to perform basic hygiene such as changing the default password and updating the internal firmware.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Your internet router could be China-linked: FCC cracks down on ‘unacceptable’ security risks
The FCC is moving to block new foreign-made internet routers from the U.S. market, citing concerns that overseas supply chains could expose American networks to cyber threats.
The problem is that even most American companies have their devices manufactured abroad. At least no one has to throw away their existing routers.
US bans foreign-made routers over cybersecurity concerns
Foreign-made routers are now effectively barred from being sold in the U.S. after federal regulators determined they pose a national security risk.The move by the FCC comes after federal agencies warned that foreign-made routers could be exploited by cyberattackers to target American homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.Recently, malicious state and non-state sponsored cyber attackers have increasingly leveraged the vulnerabilities in s…
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