Beware Fake Computer Hardware

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fake Cisco equipment has been seized by police in Kent.

Cisco had spotted the counterfeit equipment in circulation and notified the police. This is not an isolated incident and other hardware manufactures are also having their equipment faked.
 
Due to the high face value of the equipment, criminal networks can profit greatly. The real losers though are the poor end users. Counterfeit computer hardware can be less reliable than the originals and clearly won’t have any form of warranty, should it fail. It is also feared that in some instances, malicious software is implanted within the forged equipment so it can spread to the user’s IT networks.
 

What Can You Do?

This reinforces the need to purchase equipment from reputable sources and remember that if something is priced so cheaply it seems a massive bargain, there is probably a good reason!
 
There is a police department working hard to control the sale of counterfeit equipment, the Intellectual Property Crime Unit. They are supported by the manufacturers who identify suspect products and pass on the information to the police. If you have any concerns, please contact the Intellectual Property Crime Unit.
 
For more information on legitimate Cisco products, please contact us.