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Counterfeit Chips Raise New Terror, Hacking Fears

mattnyc99 writes "We've seen overtures by computer manufacturers to build in chip security before, but now Popular Mechanics takes a long look at growing worries over counterfeit chips, from the military and FAA to the Department of Energy and top universities. While there's still never been a fake-chip sabotage or info hack on America by foreign countries or rogue groups, this article suggests just how easy it would be for chips embedded with time-release cripple coding to steal data or bring down a critical network - and how that's got Homeland shaking in its boots (but not Bruce Schneier). While PopMech has an accompanying story on the possible end of cheap gadget manufacturing in China as inflation rates soar there, it's the global hardware business in general that has DoD officials freaking out over chips."

6 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. That explains it! by boristdog · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was wondering why my new "Gatemay" computer had an "Inpel Inside!" sticker on it.

  2. Re:The Counterfeit Bolt Problem by veganboyjosh · · Score: 4, Funny

    That worker should have been wearing fall protection.

    YEAH! They make these special bolts, which are super strong...oh wait.

  3. Re:ARRRGH! TERROR! by SleepyHappyDoc · · Score: 4, Funny

    What about child terrorists?

    --
    Stasis is death. Embrace change.
  4. Another one for you by querist · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wanted to mod this up (funny), but I decided to comment instead...

    My brother has a Shrap calculator. (Yes, S-H-R-A-P, not Sharp). The lettering looks exactly like the lettering used by Sharp during that time period (1980s). He keeps it for the humor value.

    "From Shrap minds come shrap products..." :-)

    This kind of thing really does happen.

    1. Re:Another one for you by dgatwood · · Score: 2, Funny

      And thanks to all the explosive batteries in the cheap knockoffs, from shrap products comes shrap nel....

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  5. Profit! by layer3switch · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Terror
    2. Religion
    3. ...
    4. Profit!

    I'm John McCain, and I approve this message.

    --
    "Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."