Bill mandating router security evaluations receives House OK

The House has passed the Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security Act that would mandate a Department of Commerce review on the national security threat posed by adversarial nation-controlled routers and modems three weeks after its approval by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, CyberScoop reports. Such legislation, which is part of earlier bipartisan initiatives to free U.S. communication systems from untrusted equipment, is crucial following reports from the Justice and Homeland Security departments, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warning about the exploitation of router and modem security issues in Chinese state-backed intrusions, according to Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, who unveiled the ROUTERS Act alongside Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., also emphasized the importance of understanding the cybersecurity risks associated with adversary-developed equipment. "This legislation will help us to better protect American families and our country from bad actors who want to carry out malicious attacks," Dingell added.