In response to the increasing danger of cyberattacks by China and other American enemies, a new bipartisan endeavor has emerged in Congress.
According to the bill text obtained by Fox News Digital, this legislation would place new restrictions on the technology that the United States government can buy. It would require federal agencies and offices to only buy technology from “original equipment manufacturers” or “authorized resellers.” Rep. Pat Fallon, a Republican from Texas, is leading this effort.
According to Fallon, this would shield American technology from “trusted sources” that might be getting it from countries like Iran, Russia, or China.
“[O]ur adversaries have been targeting our hardware and software systems through selling the U.S. government counterfeit products through what are known as ‘gray market’ sellers,” said Fallon. “These products, although marketed as genuine hardware, allow our enemies to gain access to U.S. government systems, making it far easier to conduct subsequent cyberattacks.”
The Republican from Texas voiced concern that the United States was under assault from “millions of attacks daily,” and that cyberattacks were becoming easier to execute due to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).
The SAFE Supply Chains Act, which is supported by both the House and the Senate, is an effort to ensure the safety of the nation’s federal equipment.
Republican John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Gary Peters, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, are spearheading this effort.
Without the manufacturer’s approval, a “gray market” can be accessed to buy and sell authentic goods.
Despite the difficulty in accurately estimating its extent due to a lack of transparency, AGMA Global estimates that manufacturers have lost billions of dollars due to the technological gray market, which has been especially common in the high-tech sector.
There is a thriving gray market for technology in China. Earlier this year, the Asia Times of Hong Kong reported that Chinese companies were acquiring high-end American artificial intelligence processors for their own research and military purposes by evading U.S. export restrictions.
Furthermore, the new bill would stop China from flooding the U.S. market with illegitimate products and services, even though the U.S. government already has sanctions on some enterprises sponsored by Beijing.
Bills like these, according to Fallon, would “prevent the federal government from even being at risk of being duped into procuring these harmful products.”
Global instability and danger have reached an all-time high. “We are at a critical juncture where cyber-attacks and enemy intrusion are becoming more likely; therefore, we must take all necessary measures to secure our susceptible systems,” he declared.