The US military spent $33 million on tech known to be vulnerable to Chinese cyberespionage

The US Department of Defense (DoD) purchased and used millions of dollars worth of electronics last year containing “known cybersecurity vulnerabilities” that make them particularly susceptible to Chinese government espionage. The findings are included in a recent audit (pdf) by the Pentagon’s Inspector General (IG) for DoD cyberspace operations, which warns that “missions critical to national security could be compromised” if the military does not take swift action.

Some models or brands of so-called COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) technology can allow adversaries access to communications infrastructure, command and control systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance networks, says the partially redacted IG report.