What GAO Found A 2018 law generally prohibits executive agencies from procuring telecommunications and video surveillance equipment produced by certain companies, or their subsidiaries and affiliates, linked to the People’s Republic of China (referred to as “covered equipment”). Agencies are not prohibited from using covered equipment procured prior to this prohibition. Officials from four of six selected agencies—the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, State, and Treasury—told GAO they did not identify any covered equipment connected to their IT networks. The Departments of Defense (DOD) and Energy reported finding little covered equipment in recent searches and having efforts underway to address potential risks. For example, DOD officials identified three instances of covered equipment connected to its network and confirmed the devices have been blocked from external access while DOD acts to remove them. All six selected agencies have used a combination of methods to search for covered equipment since 2019. Each method has benefits and limitations. For example, IT network scans may not scan agencies’ entire IT networks, including classified networks. Methods Selected Agencies Have Used to Search for Covered Equipment, 2019– December 2025 Agency IT hardware asset inventory searcha IT network scanb Procurement record search Physical search Department of Defense…
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Telecommunications: Selected Agencies Have Taken Steps to Address Risks of Equipment Linked to China
Source: US GAO Reports — US Government, Public Domain