End-of-Life Care for Tech Could Ward Off China’s Hackers

SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING – As Chinese government hackers have burrowed into U.S. critical infrastructure, they have avoided detection by targeting low-profile devices: obsolete internet routers long ago forgotten in office closets and home basements.

The Department of Justice says that in a recent cyberattack known as “Volt Typhoon,” Chinese hackers were seeking ways to sabotage vital equipment, and did so by breaching outdated U.S. routers at American businesses. Investigators said the hackers used those routers’ IP addresses to disguise intrusions into far more sensitive critical infrastructure networks. The operation has alarmed U.S. intelligence officials because it suggests that in the event of a U.S.-China war, Beijing could use this access to cripple American power plants, hospitals and communications networks. But Volt Typhoon is only the latest high-profile reminder of the dangers posed by hardware and software that have reached the end of their supported lifespans – meaning they no longer receive security updates from manufacturers.