DHS Orders Federal Civilian Agencies to Remove DeepSeek Products
Summary
DHS ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and barred the company and affiliates from agency contracts, citing potential risks to sensitive data and agency networks. Agencies have 60 days to request exceptions.
Key points
- The order directs civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek offerings and third-party products developed using DeepSeek implementations.
- DHS said use could expose sensitive data to China and warned the models may contain malware or security vulnerabilities; these are the department's stated concerns.
- The order invokes the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 and may apply to federal contractors and subcontractors.
- DHS urged agencies to monitor network traffic for data leaving their environments and strengthen logging.
- Agencies have 60 days from the order's issuance to request exceptions, which CISA will approve or deny in writing.
- A company targeted by an exclusion or removal order has 60 days after notice to challenge it in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Article Details
- Event Type
- DHS exclusion and removal order banning DeepSeek products and services from federal civilian agency systems and contracts.
- Impact
- Federal civilian agencies must remove DeepSeek offerings and third-party products developed using DeepSeek implementations. DHS cited risks including malware or vulnerabilities in the models and potential transfer of sensitive data to China. Agencies have 60 days from issuance to request exceptions.