FGrade F · High Risk
Is Cisco Router Safe?
Cisco is a US company (NASDAQ: CSCO), but its SMB routers are manufactured in China and carry a significant CVE history. F grade.
At a glance
- Owner
- Cisco Systems, Inc. (US, NASDAQ: CSCO)
- FCC status
- FCC authorized
- Ban status
- Not in scope of ban
- Made in
- China
- Models graded
- 2 analyzed
- Grade range
- F
Security Verdict
Cisco is a US company in San Jose, CA, with no Chinese ownership or FCC ban risk. Its consumer and SMB routers, including the RV series, are made in China, carry a long CVE history, and have been named by CISA as high-value targets for state-sponsored attackers. Cisco's enterprise gear (Catalyst, ASA) is a separate, much stronger line.
Bottom line: Safe on ownership, but patch RV-series firmware promptly and check older models for end-of-life.
Cisco Model Grades
Tap a model for its full report.
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F
RV340ActiveFCC: FCC authorized - foreign manufacture rule applies · Made in China
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F
RV160ActiveFCC: FCC authorized - foreign manufacture rule applies · Made in China
Key Risk Factors
Moderate
China manufacturing
RV-series routers are made in China. Cisco has no PRC law obligation, but the hardware supply chain is a factor.
Moderate
Significant CVE history in SMB line
Many critical and high CVEs, including remote code execution flaws that prompted urgent CISA advisories.
Moderate
Named in state-sponsored attack advisories
CISA and NSA named Cisco SMB devices as high-value targets for attackers seeking network footholds.
In its favor
US company - no ban risk
NYSE-listed, with no Chinese government ownership and no exposure to China's National Intelligence Law.
Corporate Ownership Structure
Cisco Systems, Inc. is a publicly traded US company incorporated in Delaware and based in San Jose, California (NASDAQ: CSCO), mostly owned by institutional investors such as Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street. Its consumer and SMB RV-series routers are a separate line from its enterprise business and are manufactured in China. As a US company, Cisco is not subject to China's National Intelligence Law, but China manufacturing adds supply chain considerations.
From the team behind this checker
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Frequently Asked Questions
Cisco is a US company with no ban risk or Chinese ownership concern. Its China-made RV-series SMB routers have a significant CVE history and offer adequate but not exceptional security. Keep firmware updated and check your model's end-of-life status.
The RV340 is a China-made small business VPN router that is FCC authorized and not banned. It has documented firmware flaws, and the RV series has a high CVE rate. Keep firmware current and disable remote management if you do not need it.
Yes. Cisco's consumer and SMB routers, including the RV series, are made in China. Cisco is US-owned (NASDAQ: CSCO) and not subject to China's National Intelligence Law, but China manufacturing adds supply chain considerations.
Cisco is much safer on national security: it is US-owned with no Chinese government exposure. TP-Link is Chinese-owned, under federal investigation and linked to Volt Typhoon. Both manufacture in China, but only TP-Link carries the Chinese state law obligation.
Several Cisco SMB models are end-of-life, and the RV series has largely been discontinued in favor of enterprise solutions. Check Cisco's end-of-life notices for your model, and replace it if patches have stopped.
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