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readability=\"25.325123152709\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.342710997442\">\n<p> Lawmakers say the ROUTERS Act is critical to understanding vulnerabilities in devices exploited by Chinese hackers and other adversaries. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/84341\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks-2.jpg 2121w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks-2.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks-2.jpg?resize=1536,1023 1536w, 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class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"31.701923076923\"><body readability=\"63.962338949455\"><\/p>\n<p>A bill requiring the Department of Commerce to study national security issues posed by routers and modems controlled by U.S. adversaries passed the House on Monday, advancing legislation that lawmakers say is \u201ccrucial\u201d to understanding the devices\u2019 cybersecurity risks.<\/p>\n<p>The House has moved quickly on the Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security (<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/billsthisweek\/20250428\/H866_RH_xml.pdf\">ROUTERS<\/a>) Act, which was introduced by Reps. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Robin Kelly, D-Ill., in March and advanced out of the chamber\u2019s Energy and Commerce Committee three weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p>The bill, which calls on Commerce\u2019s assistant secretary for communications and information to lead a study into devices that are \u201cdesigned, developed, manufactured, or supplied\u201d by or subject to the influence of a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/uscode.house.gov\/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4872&num=0&edition=prelim\">covered country<\/a>,\u201d takes particular aim at China and the state-sponsored hacking campaigns that have <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/chinese-cyber-threats-fbi-operation-botnet\/\">plagued U.S. networks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In remarks on the House floor Monday, Latta said the legislation builds on previous bipartisan efforts to \u201cremove untrusted equipment\u201d from American communications systems. The Ohio Republican pointed specifically to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-bill\/4998\">Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019<\/a>, which blocked Huawei and ZTE equipment from U.S. networks, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/3919\">Secure Equipment Act of 2021<\/a>, which bars the Federal Communications Commission from signing off on equipment from \u201cuntrusted vendors.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>National security agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, have issued advisories and reports on various threats posed by router and modem vulnerabilities, and how Chinese-sponsored hackers have leveraged those vulnerabilities to launch attacks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should take these reports seriously,\u201d Latta said. \u201cFurther, we know that companies with ties to the [Chinese Communist Party] could be forced to support Chinese intelligence activities. We can imagine how they could use vulnerabilities in their equipment to aid these efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The House passage of the bill, which has a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/routers-modems-national-security-risks-senate-bill\/\">companion in the upper chamber<\/a> from Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n, D-N.M., comes at a time when the Chinese-sponsored hacking group <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/salt-typhoon\/\">Salt Typhoon<\/a> has been lingering for months in several telecom networks. <\/p>\n<p>Some of those intrusions have come <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/salt-typhoon-china-ongoing-telecom-attack-spree\/\">via Cisco routers<\/a>, Recorded Future researchers found. Routers have emerged in recent years as an <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/research-reveals-vulnerabilities-in-routers-that-left-700000-plus-exposed\/\">especially popular target for hackers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is crucial that we understand the cybersecurity and national security risks our networks face from equipment that originates from our foreign adversaries,\u201d Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said Monday. \u201cThis is especially true given that our nation\u2019s communications networks are an integral component to nearly every facet of American life, which also makes them prime targets for attack. This legislation will help us to better protect American families and our country from bad actors who want to carry out malicious attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"4.375\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"15\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Matt Bracken\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Matt Bracken<\/h4>\n<p> Matt Bracken is the managing editor of FedScoop and CyberScoop, overseeing coverage of federal government technology policy and cybersecurity. Before joining Scoop News Group in 2023, Matt was a senior editor at Morning Consult, leading data-driven coverage of tech, finance, health and energy. He previously worked in various editorial roles at The Baltimore Sun and the Arizona Daily Star. 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{"id":7580,"date":"2025-04-28T17:09:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=84341"},"modified":"2025-04-28T17:09:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:09:14","slug":"house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/04\/28\/house-passes-bill-to-study-routers-national-security-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"House passes bill to study routers\u2019 national security risks"},"content":{"rendered":"