Looking to save a few dollars with your next network hardware refresh? Caveat Emptor. Since 2008 the FBI has been sending out warnings of counterfeit hardware. Fast forward to 2020. F-Secure has published an interesting paper on its analysis of counterfeit Cisco Catalyst 2960-X series 5 switches. Because clones and packaging are getting more realistic, many organizations don't realize they have counterfeit network equipment until it is installed and begins acting strangely.The tell tale sign you have a fake is that software upgrades fail.
