China-Linked Hackers Weaponize Home Routers and Smart Devices, 10 Countries Warn

International cyber agencies warn that everyday routers and smart cameras are being turned into hidden weapons by Chinese state-backed hackers.

Ethernet cables running from the back of a wireless router in Washington on March 21, 2019. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Ten countries have jointly warned that China-linked hackers are using everyday internet devices, home routers, web cameras, and smart gadgets to carry out hidden malicious activity.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) published the advisory on April 23, alongside 15 partner agencies from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and Sweden.