On June 9th, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would ban imports from China-based printer manufacturer Ninestar Corporation. This is all a part of the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA). Ninestar is the fourth largest laser printer manufacturer in the world.
It’s a majority shareholder of U.S.-based company Lexmark International, which manufactures laser-printer and imaging products.
Why Did Ninestar Get Banned?
According to the DHS, this ban came about due to Ninestar’s alleged forced labor violations that targeted persecuted groups including the Uyghurs in China. U.N. experts estimate that over a million victims including mainly Uyghurs and Muslim people had been detained in work camps in Western China in recent years. They were allegedly subject to ideological training and abuse.
Who Does This Affect?
This news has many companies concerned about disruptions in service, supplies, and parts for affected devices in the short and long term. Usherwood Office Technology does not use components from Ninestar or any of its subsidiaries.
The company manufactures print devices including toner cartridges and cartridge microchips. Texplained, a technical testing laboratory, identified Ninestar as a cource of chips found in counterfeit printer cartridges. These cartridges falsely claimed to be from other printer manufacturers, such as HP.
Reprogrammable Chips & Why They’re Risky
The risk of counterfeit cartridges to your business lies in their lack of cybersecurity. The study by Texplained used chip-analysis technology to see that there was fraudulent code within the microchips, created to falsely tell users they were operating with an HP cartridge.
The reprogrammable nature of these chips makes them susceptible to cyber attackers, as they can be injected with malware. This malware can be transferred to printers as cartridge chips communicate with the device. From there, malware can spread to any networks printers are connected to, creating a risk to your whole organization. To read more about printer security check out our article: Can My Printer Get Hacked?
Are Your Current Devices Affected by the Ban?
Ninestar and its subsidiaries manufacture a variety of printers, print engines, components, and consumables such as toner, used in various brands beyond Lexmark printers. If you’re concerned your business continuity is at risk due to the ban, Usherwood can perform a free tech evaluation to determine any potential devices and supplies at risk of being impacted.
