DHS Admits Knowledge of Infected Import Tech

smitty777 writes "Deputy Undersecretary Schaffer of the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate confessed to being aware of foreign technology that had been imported with spyware, malware, and other security risks. According to the article, 'More worryingly, the hearing specifically mentioned hardware components as possibly being compromised — which raises the questions of whether, perhaps, something as innocuous as Flash memory or embedded RFID chips could be used by interested foreign parties.' These hearings were held on July 7th to 'examine the nature and extent of the current threat to America's infrastructure.'"

Comments

Hey!

[chemicaldave]

Spying on Americans is our business!

Re:Hey!

[cayenne8]

Geez...who would have ever thought that moving all our manufacturing, especially of IT components offshore would have engendered these types of risks???

[rolls eyes]

Seems like now...setting up an expensive chip fabrication plant, all in the US, would be a profitable business venture...market to the US federal govt. only US made electronics, certified not to have foreign malware contained within? Not only would they buy the higher priced components, but would easily pay a premium on top of that for a nice profit.

It would go down good with politicos too...due to creating new US jobs.

Re:Hey!

[hairyfeet]

Uhhhh...did you READ what you linked to? Former pres Carter said comparing Obama to Hitler or saying they should have buried Obama when they buried Ted Kennedy is going too far and you know what? He is right. You want to say he is a shitty POTUS? Fine I agree with you as a matter of fact, but comparing him to one of the biggest mass murderers in history is not only ridiculous but an insult to all those that suffered to get rid of the Nazis in WWII. There is a difference between dissent and being a troll, and I think most of us would agree the Bushhitler and Obamahitler posters were just that, trolling.

As for TFA well surprise surprise to quote Gomer Pile, you send all the manufacturing overseas to a country that has been artificially lowering the value of ITS currency to make sure imports tank and exports rise, a not nice thing to do in the first place, and then you're shocked they may be doing other not nice things like pwning the gear they sell you? Can we get a DUH boys and girls? The very same country that was paying dirt farmers in Kosovo to dig up our crashed F117 so they could steal the tech, THAT country? Naaah, what makes you think they'd do anything naughty?

To paraphrase a line from one of my favorite movies "Why do you think they are so big? Its because they fucking steal, every idea that ain't nailed down" and what better way to steal ideas that put a bunch of backdoors, rootkits, and other nasties on the products that we are hooked on like crack?

Re:this is another pathetic attempt at a power-gra

[TheGratefulNet]

sorry, one more followup.

this also irked me:

The emergence of new centers for manufacturing, design, and research across the globe raises concerns about the potential for easier subversion of computers and networks through subtle hardware or software manipulations. Counterfeit products have created the most visible supply problems, but few documented examples exist of unambiguous, deliberate subversions.

conterfeit products.

ugh.

first of all, SONY comes to mind as a master rootkit installer. was this counterfeit? hardly! most recognizeable brand name, perhaps, in the world.

second, I would not trust brand names any more or less than 'counterfeit' brands. this does seem like a 'request' for more powers of search/seizure or whatever.

tell me I'm wrong. please.