Counterfeit electronics are at best an annoyance to consumers and, at worst, a threat to national security.

Whether it’s an outright fake or a gray market device, the prevalence of counterfeit electronics is fueled by demand that’s not being met by the available supply. When there’s a high demand that’s not being fully met, there’s more room for outright counterfeit chips, as well as gray market items, which might be a genuine chip that’s packaged as new when it has in fact been used somewhere else for several years.

Putting gray market chips into systems is like turning back the speedometer of a car to make it appear there’s mileage on it, but it obscures the wear and tear that could have serious implications on the system it’s being used in.

Read my full story at Fierce Electronics.

Gary Hilson is a freelance writer with a focus on B2B technology, including information technology, cybersecurity, and semiconductors.