US semiconductor companies face more than $7.5 billion in counterfeiting costs each year, but that loss is not the biggest that this illegal practice forces, according to recent Senate testimony by Brian Toohey (photo), president of the SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). Toohey aims to aid the Senates investigation into counterfeit electronic parts in the DOD (Department of Defense) supply chain.
Counterfeit versions of electronics and semiconductors are well-known threats in the electronics supply chain, and they put the health and safety of both the military and civilians at risk. That threat is growing, the SIA says, especially as microelectronics are finding use in an increasing number of mission-critical applications, such as lifesaving medical devices; automotive-safety systems; airplanes; and the tools, systems, and communications equipment that the US military relies on. The catastrophic-failure risk inherently found in counterfeit semiconductors places our citizens and military personnel in unreasonable peril, said Toohey, testifying on behalf of the industry before the Senate Armed Services Committee in November. A counterfeit semiconductor is a ticking time bomb.
