Trump FCC prohibits import and sale of new Wi-Fi routers made outside US
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This is just going to be a corruption vehicle. Pay the bribe, get exemptions. If you're a little fish unable to pay, you're boned.
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Here we go again...
Don't get me wrong, if someone comes out and shows a track record of intentional security issues, deliberate backdoors or just plain bad faith decisions that could cause harm - I'm all for getting rid of a brand from the market...but just "I think" yet again with nothing to back it (Also yet again)...didn't we grow out of that phase as a society?
Don't get me wrong, if someone comes out and shows a track record of intentional security issues, deliberate backdoors or just plain bad faith decisions that could cause harm - I'm all for getting rid of a brand from the market...but just "I think" yet again with nothing to back it (Also yet again)...didn't we grow out of that phase as a society?
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Sounds to me like "ban all routers that don't have a US backdoor" and a way to implement a US version of the Great Firewall eventually.
Notice it only affects consumer routers, and not those purchased by businesses like say...ISPs for rent.
Notice it only affects consumer routers, and not those purchased by businesses like say...ISPs for rent.
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You know what's gonna be a real security nightmare? Everyone holding onto their way past EOL routers because buying a new one costs 5x as much as before.
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In order:
U.S. Manufacturing is overpriced and underperforming.
Foreign sources were selected because they work just fine.
Alternative markets exist.
We will expand manufacturing in the US by selling networking equipment to your factories in two weeks when Trump chickens out again.
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Easy fix, sell the bare hardware and the OS separately. Include 2 QR codes in the box to automate the install: one for consumer grade with limited features and vulnerabilities, one for "pro" grade.
-edit for clarity
-edit for clarity
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Time to start selling single board computers with multiple networking interfaces.
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And the great firewall of America begins. In addition to the corruption aspect, seems like a good way to ensure that only "favored" firmware is available.
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The major ISPs in the US that strongly favor having their own-branded modems and routers at every customer's home are cranking up their PACs to start donating heavily to Republican House and Senate races. Trump may have to build TWO Presidential libraries with all of the money that this will bring in.
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After reading the comments and (valid) speculation of just more grift - it should be noted that Trump's greed isn't the only swamp that needs decay.
All the lickspittles and shadow enablers are scrambling for their piece of the action and now that a wannabe mob boss and certainly lawless leader is in place, there is a long, long line of people ready to kiss the ring and put forward their grift schemes with, of course, a promise of the cut for the boss.
All the lickspittles and shadow enablers are scrambling for their piece of the action and now that a wannabe mob boss and certainly lawless leader is in place, there is a long, long line of people ready to kiss the ring and put forward their grift schemes with, of course, a promise of the cut for the boss.
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The most ridiculous part of this is that "manufacturing" them in the US doesn't remove any vulnerability at all. Do really think the mostly automated assembly line is physically sneaking in backdoors by hand? Like some guy is just sitting on the assembly line dropping bad bits into the bit bucket?
No seriously, I'm legitimately asking how do these people think software is made?
Putting all the made in China parts into the made in China case on some assembly line in the US doesn't change a god damn thing.
I want more secure networking hardware. This isn't that.
No seriously, I'm legitimately asking how do these people think software is made?
Putting all the made in China parts into the made in China case on some assembly line in the US doesn't change a god damn thing.
I want more secure networking hardware. This isn't that.
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Which one of his dipshit kids is invested in networking equipment companies, and which companies? We will know soon!
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It could be just a shakedown. And, we should look at any large stock purchases or short sale options.. I would have thought they would have started with enterprise network gear if this was for national security reasons...
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This is the dumbest thing I've heard in quite some time. It makes no difference whatsoever to the security of a router whether it was "manufactured" in the US. The level of immaturity in US government is just absolutely staggering. I still can't believe that the US is actually being run by what might as well be fourteen-year old schoolyard bullies. What a time to be alive.
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Countdown to the announcement of the impending release of the TrumpGold Super Wifi Router . . . maybe we'll see it before the Trump phone.
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Mungus the Unhyphenated
Ars Tribunus Militum
Exactly. Sure, they can slap together routers made with foreign-sourced or US-sourced parts -- It doesn't matter.
The firmware matters.
The firmware might be written by offshore contractors. This doesn't stop that.
The firmware may or may not contain a backdoor -- and that could be written in by offshore or domestic personnel, for reasons that could be government-based or foreign-interest-based or just plain malicious, This doesn't' fix any of that.
It doesn't even fix potential supply-chain attacks on the source of the firmware being flashed at the factory or by future over-the-internet device updates due to security holes or exploits.
This is all smoke and mirrors, pandering to the party line and facilitating more grift.
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Are they stupid? The reason they make anything outside the US is because the cost of labor is nearly zero. Done.
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Requiring security support to be cut off for for every router in the country will make the problem much worse. Someone that just replaced their router isn’t going to buy another one in two years because the government cut off support for the old one. There will be a 5 year window when the vast majority of routers will not be patched.
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Been fence sitting on my router replacement for a bit. Been a long time ASUS fan, but the only ASUS routers that meet my full needs (WiFi 7, tri-band, ideally 4x4 5Ghz and 6Ghz radios, and Guest Network Pro for VLANs) at the moment are those utterly massive 8 antenna crab like things (like the RT-BE96U).
We have a BE96U at work that we’re not using, so I tried to take it home to demo it, and the damn thing is so huge that there is literally no place anywhere near where my internet connection/entertainment center located to fit it.
Been hoping for a refresh of their lineup to see if some smaller units met my needs, but this probably throws a wrench in that plan.
Might be time to consider the much more expensive but modular route, Firewalla + Firewalla or Ubiquiti WAPs.
On first blush, there is certainly a need to better protect our infrastructure from cyber attacks. But the more you dig, the more obvious it becomes that this is at minimum a grift to get lobbying dollars for router approvals and bullshit campaign talking points to claim they brought more manufacturing into the US. The digger you deep the worse it could potentially get, with them requiring backdoors for the US surveillance arms.
Sigh…. Trading the risk of China’s backdoors for the risk of trump/fed backs doors, all the a healthy dash of grift. Classic trump. Fuck trump.
We have a BE96U at work that we’re not using, so I tried to take it home to demo it, and the damn thing is so huge that there is literally no place anywhere near where my internet connection/entertainment center located to fit it.
Been hoping for a refresh of their lineup to see if some smaller units met my needs, but this probably throws a wrench in that plan.
Might be time to consider the much more expensive but modular route, Firewalla + Firewalla or Ubiquiti WAPs.
On first blush, there is certainly a need to better protect our infrastructure from cyber attacks. But the more you dig, the more obvious it becomes that this is at minimum a grift to get lobbying dollars for router approvals and bullshit campaign talking points to claim they brought more manufacturing into the US. The digger you deep the worse it could potentially get, with them requiring backdoors for the US surveillance arms.
Sigh…. Trading the risk of China’s backdoors for the risk of trump/fed backs doors, all the a healthy dash of grift. Classic trump. Fuck trump.
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ZeDestructor
Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
It depends how you define "backdoor". If you're talking just about the ability to bypass or break the security, then yes, plenty of evidence.
If you're talking about intentionally inserting ways to bypass or break the security, then afaik nothing in recent history outside of the few times the FBI/NSA/CIA were caught opening up new routers (or worse) and switches in order to manually install their backdoors.
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First day visiting the Kleptocracy? Enjoy your stay, don't forget to visit the giftshop.
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If the next administration doesn't manage to put Brendan Carr (among many, many others) in a prison cell I will consider it a failure.
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What would do a LOT more good would be if the government stepped in and mandated that all router manufacturers supported their products for a minimum of 5 years at no cost for security patches and that all identified security issues must also be patched within a reasonable time frame after being identified, along with requiring the manufacturers to have a process to identify security vulnerabilities both internally and to partner with organizations that do the same. If CISA hadn't been gutted, I would say make them the authority who tells manufacturers about security flaws that must legally be patched under this scheme.
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