"Fake Cisco Switches Provoked Network Failures"

Fake Cisco devices led to the failure of an IT company's network switches following a software upgrade, further highlighting the threat posed by counterfeit hardware. An investigation of the incident by F-Secure's hardware security team revealed two versions of Cisco Catalyst 2960-X series switches to be fake as Cisco did not manufacture them. Counterfeits can significantly weaken the security measures implemented to protect an organization's assets, processes, and infrastructure. F-Secure advises organizations to source all of their devices from authorized resellers, implement clear internal procedures, ensure all devices run the latest available software provided by vendors, and more, to prevent the use of counterfeit devices. This article continues to discuss the use of fake Cisco devices that led to a network failure, current efforts to defend against counterfeit and gray market activities, and how organizations can prevent themselves from using counterfeit devices. 

SC Magazine reports "Fake Cisco Switches Provoked Network Failures"