U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have asked the Department of Homeland Security to assess the national security risks stemming from foreign-made Virtual Private Network (VPN).
The senators specifically mention VPN networks affiliated with countries of national security concern, including China.
“Millions of consumers have downloaded these apps, some of which are made by foreign companies in countries that do not share American interests or values. Because these foreign apps transmit users’ web-browsing data to servers located in or controlled by countries that have an interest in targeting U.S. government employees, their use raises the risk that user data will be surveilled by foreign governments. The compromise of that data could harm U.S. national security,” Rubio and Wyden wrote in a letter to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs.
They added that the potential vulnerabilities involved with federal government employees using foreign-made apps that could easily be surveilled by foreign governments like China and Russia.
Rubio and Wyden requested the DHS ban their use on federal government smartphones and computers.
“In light of these concerns, we urge you to conduct a threat assessment on the national security risks associated with the continued use by U.S. government employees of VPNs, mobile data proxies, and other similar apps that are vulnerable to foreign government surveillance,” the senators wrote. “If you determine that these services pose a threat to U.S. national security, we further request that you issue a Binding Operational Directive prohibiting their use on federal government smartphones and computers.”