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Trojan Currents: Chinese Embedded Threats

Why embedded threats in Chinese-made solar inverters demand a legal, not just technical, response.
Trojan Currents: Chinese Embedded Threats
The inside of a solar power inverter in Dry Lake Valley, Nev., on June 28, 2021. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Commentary

In an era of intensifying global power competition, national defense is no longer confined to battlefields or cyberspace. The front lines now run through our energy infrastructure. Recent reporting has revealed that certain Chinese-manufactured solar inverters installed across the U.S. grid contain undocumented communications modules-essentially Trojan horse components embedded in critical infrastructure.

Aaron Conti
Aaron Conti
Author
Major Aaron Conti is a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army, currently serving as the Brigade Judge Advocate for the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade. He previously served as the chief of national security law for the Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force in Iraq and as a Judge Advocate at multiple levels in the 1st and 7th Infantry Divisions.