Congress Funds Removal of Chinese Telecom Gear as Feds Probe Home Router Risks

Congress approved $3 billion Wednesday for a long-languishing project to cull Chinese equipment from networks nationwide over fears they are vulnerable to cyberattacks, underscoring the risk Beijing-sponsored hackers pose to phone and internet networks. From a report: The new funding comes as the Commerce Department reviews whether to ban routers made by the Chinese-owned company TP-Link, which account for more than half of the U.S. retail router market.

The actions reflect the heightened attention among Washington policymakers to the threat posed by Chinese state-linked hackers. U.S. officials revealed the 'Volt Typhoon' hack last year and in recent months have expressed alarm over the even bigger 'Salt Typhoon' hack. In both cases, Chinese government hackers successfully penetrated major U.S. phone networks and critical infrastructure facilities, and U.S. officials said they still have not been able to expel the Salt Typhoon interlopers.

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