Cisco developing tool to automatically detect fakes

Cisco is to release a tool that automatically detects counterfeit versions of its computer equipment on US federal government systems.

Rogue suppliers have become a major problem for the US government, with research showing almost 10,000 companies were reported for suspected involvement in fake parts and other activities last year. Cisco is now trying to help federal agencies weed out counterfeit routers, switches and other computer equipment.

“There are rogue partners out there that represent themselves as Cisco partners and they are not. We are working with the customer to ensure that when they buy a piece of Cisco equipment, it is a piece of Cisco equipment,” Patrick Finn, Cisco senior vice president for the public sector, told Nextgov.

Finn believes some of the fakes originate in China. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirmed as much earlier this year, when it showed undercover agents received 40 quotes for counterfeit parts from online retailers in China.