China syndromeFBI probes counterfeit Chinese network gear
The FBI launched Operation CiscoRaider aimed at getting to the bottom of a potentially serious problem: Counterfeit Cisco routers made in China and sold to U.S. IT vendors working on sensitive government computer systems; there is fear that the forged hardware would allow a Chinese intelligence backdoor into secret U.S. information
A month ago we wrote about how the Chinese have manufactured counterfeit Cisco routers and switches and offered them at exceedingly low prices; U.S. vendors upgrading or replacing U.S. government IT systems used these counterfeit devices — and the FBI and other government agencies were worried that the gear offers the Chinese undetectable back-doors into highly secure government and military computer system. We referred to an unclassified FBI PowerPoint presentation on the topic which showed up on the AboveTopSecret.com — ATS is still hosting the slides (JPGS of them). The Chinese origin of the suspected counterfeit routers and switches had the FBI extremely concerned about the possibility the Chinese government or Chinese hackers (or both) have backdoors into highly secure government and military computer networks. Last Friday the FBI made an announcement about its Cyber Division’s investigation into the fake network gear dubbed “Operation Cisco Raider.” The criminal investigation has led to the seizure of approximately 3,500 counterfeit network components with an estimated retail value of over $3.5 million.
If the next bit of information is true there is some good news and it comes via the New York Times - “A Cisco spokesman said that the company had investigated the counterfeit gear seized by law enforcement agencies and had not found any secret back door.”
