In an effort to address potential threats to national security, the US Senate has proposed a new bill focused on studying the risks associated with routers, modems, and similar devices manufactured by hostile countries. Named the REMORSE Act (Removing OUR UNSECHN Ologies to Ensure Reliability and Security), the bill aims to conduct a federal study specifically on equipment developed or produced by companies controlled by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Senators have underscored that millions of American families and small enterprises rely on Wi-Fi routers to access the internet. However, many of these devices are vulnerable to attacks from foreign entities, posing a significant threat to national security. The results of the study on these threats are expected to be presented to the Senate and House Committees involved in science, transportation, and energy within a year of the bill becoming law.
The federal cybersecurity apparatus has long been concerned about risks stemming from SOHO routers. In September 2024, experts uncovered a new botnet that was created using SOHO routers, as an increasing number of IoT devices are being developed for consumer use. These devices include those used in vehicles, smart home systems, smart clothing, medical devices, and monitoring-capable devices.