A report shared first with Axios on Tuesday reveals that the number of Chinese-manufactured internet-connected devices on U.S. corporate networks is still increasing, despite Washington's efforts to limit their presence.
According to a recent report from Forescout, in the last year, the quantity of internet-connected devices manufactured by Chinese companies on U.S. enterprise networks surged by 41%.
Researchers estimate that as of February, there were nearly 300,000 devices from 473 Chinese manufacturers operating on U.S. networks. These devices accounted for 3.8% of all internet-connected devices, marking an increase from the 185,000 devices identified in February 2023.
This past February, the Commerce Department initiated a security investigation into internet-connected vehicles manufactured by Chinese automakers.
Nearly 60% of the internet-connected devices identified by Forescout are computers or mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Surveillance equipment comprised 4% of the devices, while video conferencing tools and internet networking equipment each constituted 4% and 2%, respectively.
Chinese-manufactured devices also exhibit a substantial presence on U.S. government networks, according to the report. Forescout's analysis revealed 21,842 such devices on networks associated with government organizations. Approximately 2,500 of these devices, constituting 11.5%, were cameras and surveillance equipment produced in China for the international conglomerate Honeywell.
