Netgear gets FCC exemption from foreign-made router ban

Cybersecurity Dive reports that Netgear has been excluded from the U.S. government's sweeping ban on foreign-made routers.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, Netgears cable modems and routers, which are manufactured in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Taiwan, do not "pose unacceptable risks" to national security as determined by the Department of Defense. However, the company's dependence on Taiwan may put its supply chain at risk amid ongoing tensions with Beijing and concerns over technology security.

The FCC cited an interagency group's conclusion that foreign-made routers pose "a severe cybersecurity risk that could be leveraged to immediately and severely disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure and directly harm U.S. persons" and constitute "a supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense" when it first announced the ban. The FCC's ruling has been lauded by Netgear CEO Charles Prober, who noted the adherence of the firm's technology to "rigorous standards."