Many of us own and use a TP-Link Wireless Router with our internet connection. Hopefully, the vast majority of users do not simply use their Router's factory 'default' settings. Hopefully, they correctly configure their Wireless Router with a personalised username and a secure password to stop unauthorised access to their Router's configuration settings and to protect their home network, but why is it important to do this ?
The Wall Street Journal reports that an analysis by Microsoft discovered that Chinese hackers were maintaining a large network of compromised devices, including thousands of compromised TP-Link Routers.
It is suggested that hackers are using the network of compromised devices to target Western organizations (think tanks, government organizations, not-for-profits, and defense department suppliers).
This is not the first time that officials have shown concern over Chinese interference orchestrated through TP-Link devices. U.S. lawmakers have previously urged the Biden administration to probe the company for potential security risks.
The suggestion it seems, is that if a user does not change the default Username and Password settings to restrict access to your Router's configuration settings, that anyone, or any entity, can easily access your home network and use your Public IP address for nefarious activities (to launch a denial of service attack, for example).
Whether the ban will come into force is debatable. If a threat to national security is proven, the response will come from the Trump administration following his inauguration later in January.