China spying with computer chips

[Pat Hartman]

Pretty scary article. I remember reading something about this years ago, probably around 2014, but it didn't make a big splash. I don't have state secrets on my PC but I sure have stuff I don't want the Chinese or anyone else to have access to.

China Used Secret Microchip to Spy on US Computers | Newsmax.com

Supermicro Hack: How China Exploited a U.S. Tech Supplier Over Years (bloomberg.com)

 

[AccessBlaster]

Prior to President Clinton computer manufactures were prohibited to transferrer technologies to China, there was an EULA you had to agree with.

Now we have a President that says "C'mon Man" China's not a threat.

 

[Pat Hartman]

With the way our military depends on electronics, this is positively terrifying. I understand the military wanting to keep this a secret until they figure out countermeasures so I sure hope they are prepared for China to zap all our planes out of the sky in one fell swoop or knock down all soldiers on the battlefield.

 

[AccessBlaster]

I know this is seen as xenophobia but...
Don't let the Chinese government manufacture your chips, even if they can do it it dirt cheap.

 

[Pat Hartman]

A country that relies on its enemies for critical infrastructure such as computer chips and medicines is too stupid to survive and we won't. Trump was trying to rectify that. Biden is exacerbating it. Now he's letting them into our electric grid.

 

[Steve R.]

A country that relies on its enemies for critical infrastructure such as computer chips and medicines is too stupid to survive and we won't. Trump was trying to rectify that. Biden is exacerbating it. Now he's letting them into our electric grid.

Another critical item that needs to be considered: rare earth metals.
A somewhat random reference: Peak Energy & Resources, Climate Change, and the Preservation of Knowledge

There are 17 rare earth elements (REE) that China controls up to 97% of (Klare 2012, Shumsky 2011). These are essential for transitioning to so-called green energy — not just cars but solar panels, windmills, solar photovoltaic, computers, electronics, the smart grid and more.

While we can import oil from dozens of nations, REE make us dependent on China, and China is also constructing mines all over the world — it’s as if Saudi Arabia bought up all the remaining oil fields.

Entered a new search term and got this more relevant and recent Bloomberg article: China Eyes Rare Earth Export Curbs for U.S. Defense, FT Says

China is exploring whether it can hurt U.S. defense contractors by limiting supplies of rare-earth minerals that are critical to the industry, the Financial Times reported.

The specter of export curbs arose in 2019 amid a deepening trade war. China accounts for 80% of rare-earth imports into the U.S., and Beijing had prepared a plan to restrict shipments as a way to target Washington. While those restrictions never eventuated, it pushed the American government to seek out ways to cut their reliance on a single source of supply.

Rare earth metal summary
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Concerning chips. They are extremely complicated, it would be "easy" for a country or a company to have chips that secretly "report home". As it is my car "reports" a lot of information, including location history, back to its maker. I once received a low tire pressure warning, but we had already gotten the tire fixed. So much for it being timely!