US Commerce Dept subpoenas Chinese companies over possible security risk

The US Department of Commerce on Wednesday served subpoenas on multiple Chinese companies that provide Information and Communications technology and services (ICTS) in the country

The US Department of Commerce on Wednesday (local time) served subpoenas on multiple Chinese companies that provide Information and Communications technology and services (ICTS) in the country.

In a statement, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said: "The Biden-Harris Administration has been clear that the unrestricted use of untrusted ICTS poses a national security risk. Beijing has engaged in conduct that blunts our technological edge and threatens our alliances."

"In issuing subpoenas today, we are taking an important step in collecting information that will allow us to make a determination for possible action that best protects the security of American companies, American workers, and US national security. We hope to work cooperatively with these companies and conclude a thorough review," she added.

Underscoring the importance of ICTS, Raimondo also said that the US administration is firmly committed to taking a whole-of-government approach to ensure that untrusted companies cannot misappropriate and misuse data and ensuring that US technology does not support China's or other actors' malign activities.

This comes after Cybersecurity group FireEye earlier this month announced it had found evidence that hackers had exploited a flaw in a popular Microsoft email application since as early as January to target groups across a variety of sectors.

FireEye analysts wrote in a blog post that the company had observed the hackers -- who Microsoft announced earlier this week were a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group known as "Hafnium" -- exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Exchange Server email program to target at least one FireEye client beginning in January, reported The Hill.

The Biden administration has said it will move forward with a rule implemented by former President Trump to bolster the information-technology supply chain. It has granted the Commerce Department the power to monitor the transactions of foreign adversaries, including China.