On Infiltrating Defense Networks (Again)

Operation Network Raider was considered a big win for the Justice Department, and in many respects it was: The sting operation targeting the illegal distribution of counterfeit network hardware manufactured in China resulted in 30 felony convictions and more than 700 seizures of counterfeit Cisco network hardware and labels.

However, with success came some hard lessons. As ChannelWeb reports, some of the fake Cisco gear was purchased by a federal contractor to fulfill a contract to deliver networking equipment to a Marine Corps base in Iraq.

Fortunately, the equipment was intercepted, but it (again) highlights the failures of a procurement model that can't protect against fakes infiltrating federal networks via unauthorized channels.