China uses BGP vulnerabilities for illegal routing.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday approved a proposal to improve the security of Internet traffic. This decision was made after it was established that the Chinese operator China Telecom improperly routed traffic.
Since 2022, the FCC has been investigating vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) system, which plays a key role in the global routing of Internet traffic. The new proposal requires Internet service providers to develop BGP security plans and regularly report on risk mitigation measures.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that U.S. agencies recently discovered that China Telecom exploited BGP vulnerabilities to improperly route Internet traffic to the United States at least six times. "These' BGP hijacks 'can lead to leaks of personal information, theft, extortion and espionage at the state level," she said.
This is another step by the United States in restricting the activities of Chinese telecommunications companies. Earlier this year, the FCC ordered the US divisions of China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile and Pacific Networks to stop providing broadband services in the US.
China Telecom has not yet commented on the situation. In the past, the company has claimed that it does not provide broadband Internet access services as defined by the FCC order.
The Internet consists of many interconnected networks, and BGP is used to exchange information about traffic routes. However, according to the FCC, BGP does not have sufficient security mechanisms to protect this information.
The FCC also previously banned the use of new telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE, citing a threat to national security.
These measures demonstrate the United States desire to strengthen the security of the national telecommunications infrastructure and protect it from potential threats from foreign operators.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday approved a proposal to improve the security of Internet traffic. This decision was made after it was established that the Chinese operator China Telecom improperly routed traffic.
Since 2022, the FCC has been investigating vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) system, which plays a key role in the global routing of Internet traffic. The new proposal requires Internet service providers to develop BGP security plans and regularly report on risk mitigation measures.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that U.S. agencies recently discovered that China Telecom exploited BGP vulnerabilities to improperly route Internet traffic to the United States at least six times. "These' BGP hijacks 'can lead to leaks of personal information, theft, extortion and espionage at the state level," she said.
This is another step by the United States in restricting the activities of Chinese telecommunications companies. Earlier this year, the FCC ordered the US divisions of China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile and Pacific Networks to stop providing broadband services in the US.
China Telecom has not yet commented on the situation. In the past, the company has claimed that it does not provide broadband Internet access services as defined by the FCC order.
The Internet consists of many interconnected networks, and BGP is used to exchange information about traffic routes. However, according to the FCC, BGP does not have sufficient security mechanisms to protect this information.
The FCC also previously banned the use of new telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE, citing a threat to national security.
These measures demonstrate the United States desire to strengthen the security of the national telecommunications infrastructure and protect it from potential threats from foreign operators.
