US diplomats alerted over Chinese computers

The Daily Telegraph ^ | May 20, 2006 | Francis Harris

[MadIvan]

American diplomats have been instructed not to keep classified material on 16,000 newly purchased computers because the manufacturer is partly-owned by the Chinese government.

Richard Griffin, the assistant secretary of state, told Congress he would ensure that the machines did not "compromise our information and communication channels".

The row erupted when a congressman raised questions about the purchase of machines from Lenovo, the world's third biggest personal computer maker. The company is 28 per cent owned by a state-controlled Chinese entity.

At least 900 of the computers were to be used by diplomats at embassies around the world and would have been used to access classified material.

Some that had been installed are being removed and all will undergo "inspection and verification". The State Department said that in future it would track the ownership of computer manufacturers.

Frank Wolf, a Republican congressman, said the purchase was a mistake. "This decision would have had dire consequences for our national security.

"It is no secret that the United States is a principal target of Chinese intelligence services."

It had been suggested that the computers may have some sort of electronic eavesdropping mechanism installed. But the company's spokesmen denied that there was any risk in using their machines.

"We are absolutely confident in the security of our manufacturing process," said Jeffrey Carlisle. "These computers do not present a risk to US security."

Fears about Chinese espionage are fast rising in America. Numerous operations aimed at high-tech industries have been uncovered in recent years and the FBI has greatly increased its counter-intelligence operations.

This week, a Chinese businessman pleaded guilty in Florida to trying to purchase fighter jet engines, air-to-air missiles and long-range, nuclear capable cruise missiles for Beijing. He faces 30 years in prison.

[MadIvan]

Oops.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[null and void]

Hardware backdoor, or malware? Nahhhhhh, that would never happen...

[Citizen Tom Paine]

As an old computer guy both for the Government and in private industry building our own PCs, I can't imagine why Uncle has to buy 16,000 computers from the ChiComs. There are thousands of dealers in the US that would custom build anything that they wanted configured precisely the way they wanted.

If an order for 16,000 PCs were placed at one time on one procurement, the Contracting Officer should have his a$$ kicked, to be blunt. There is no reason for such an action.

One reason that large procurements were issued is that small businesses can't compete on delivery times. Therefore, in some instances there is less work for the CO.

[BenLurkin]

Don't we have a buy American policy for government purchases?

And if not - time to have one!

[Texican]

Ivan:
My friend will you please put me on any and all of your ping lists. I have long admired your posts and replies. I have right in front of me now my registration for RightGoths.com. It is dated August 21, 2004. I have only used it a couple of times, but I still have it.

Good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

[o_zarkman44]

We should trust the Chinese because they are moving towards democracy and they are becoming a consumer based economy.

NOT!

[caltaxed]

The communists will sell us the rope to hang ourselves.

[neodad]

You know, more and more Tom Clancy storylines sound true. The big intel coup in the Bear and the Dragon was malware on the Chicom bigwig's pc.

[hedgetrimmer]

Any number of instructions can be easily burned into ROM at the time of manufacture. Even instructions that give a backdoor to the manufacturer to access the computer over a network.

10 posted on 03/30/2006 11:37:29 AM PST by hedgetrimmer ("I'm a millionaire thanks to the WTO and "free trade" system--Hu Jintao top 10 worst dictators)

The Other Side of the US Lenovo Spy Probe

[hedgetrimmer]

"free traders"

[hedgetrimmer]

China's Lenovo welcomes U.S. probe if needed

...the Chinese government is the primary share holder. Congress approved a communist buyout of an American firm. The miniaturization alone wrapped up in IBM's PC division should be an advance for Chinese technology. America is up for sale, and our government is playing a lute.

2 posted on 03/24/2006 6:24:56 PM PST by John Filson

[antisocial]

Dang, I just bought a Toshiba laptop. It has Windows XP and I've had a devil of a time getting used to it. The danged print size is so small you need a microscope to read it. I finally figured out how to increase the print size, but strangely on some websites the browser heading remains normal and the webpage shows below it at half the width of the screen with tiny print. Any of you youngsters know how
I can make that part bigger?

[hedgetrimmer]

The Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, a multiagency panel that evaluates acquisitions of American companies by foreign entities, unanimously approved Lenovo's plan to buy IBM's Personal Computing Division

The CFIUS, same anti-American bureaucrats who approved the UAE/ports acquisition and the UAE/Doncaster acquisition.

[BnBlFlag]

This is incredibly stupid and reflects gross incompetence in our State Department. Or does it?
This could mean something even worse. Commie sympathysers embedded in the State Dept. doing the will of the Chicoms.
Red China is the most dangerous country in the world. They do not spout off nearly as bad as the worthless Muzzies but as they are building the largest (and increasingly Hi-Tech) military in the world, they are reaching the point where they can back up their threats.

[hedgetrimmer]

FYI

[hedgetrimmer]

and 5 years from now, you will see Dell and HP exiting the desktop PC business entirely because china will be dumping them into the US market for $200.

You say this like $200 PCs would be bad for the US economy.

13 posted on 02/26/2005 10:33:49 PM PST by Toddsterpatriot (Protectionism is economic ignorance!)

IBM Discusses Security Measure In Lenovo Deal

[1rudeboy]

Wait a minute, hedge, not too long ago I was defending Dell from you. You had it in your mind that Dell wasn't as valuable a part of our economy because it was an assembler and not a manufacturer. Now you are worried about defending Dell?

[hedgetrimmer]

What?

[quesera]

The moron who authorized this purchase in the first place is the real blame and should be terminated. I would even investigate him/her for possibility of accepting a bribe on this transaction or worse for being a traitor.

With all the morons, greedy employees, and traitors in our government, including Congress, it is only by the grace of GOD that we still have our freedom and democracy. I have absolutely no confidence in this government.