Analyst's note: Absolutely must read and consider the impact on our national defense and those of our allies as a result of deliberate and considered actions by our "friend" China and our own lack of strategic foresight. For years, many of us have strongly suggested that outsourcing our ability to manufacture and supply the necessary and critical microchip or "integrated circuit" (IC) to off-shore suppliers is nothing short of national suicidal.
When will our national "leaders" understand this matter as it directly relates to our nation's "critical infrastructure?" How many alarm bells are we going to have to hear before we fix this problem. This time -- with "hope" and "change" -- we did not install the "cheap knock-offs from China," but what about the next time? "Back doors" or "Trojan horses" are meant to be silent and ..... undetected.
May I go on record once again to suggest that we do NOT want such components bought that can provide "remote access" installed in our personal computers, computers used in our businesses, or in the machines that drive our critical national infrastructure ... like those used on Wall Street and in our Commodity trade centers. I can think of a lot of others, but will not mention them here.
Sources have confirmed that the U.S. Department of Defense over recent months purchased 59,000 microchips to use in Navy equipment that control everything from missiles to transponders ...
[....] Besides being subject to failure, the chips also were designed with a "back door" which would have allowed the chip, and the device it controlled, to be shut down remotely at any time, sources report.
Had the flaw not been detected, the chips could have shut down U.S. warships, aircraft, advanced weapons systems and encoded transponders that distinguish friendly aircraft from hostile attackers.
[....] A Feb. 3, 2010, G2 Bulletin article outlined how Britain's MI5 accused cyber intelligence agents in China of attacking U.K. businesses with the goal of gaining commercial intelligence. A leaked MI5 document said undercover intelligence officers from the People's Liberation Army and the Ministry of Public Security approached U.K. businessmen at trade fairs and exhibitions with the offers of cameras and memory sticks.
But the "gifts" were found to contain back doors that provide the Chinese with remote access to the business computers.
In February 2005 the U.S. Department of Defense issued a report titled, "High Performance Microchip Supply." There, the Defense Science Board Task Force stated:
"It is clear from recent trends in the microelectronics industry that a significant migration of critical microelectronics manufacturing from the United States to other foreign countries has and will continue to occur. The rate of this technology migration is alarming because of the strategic significance this technology has on the U.S. economy and the ability of the United States to maintain a technological advantage in the Department of Defense (DoD), government, commercial and industrial sectors. Our greatest concern lies in microelectronics supplies for defense, national infrastructure and intelligence applications."
The report goes on to state that there is increasing pressure on microchip or "integrated circuit" (IC) suppliers to outsource their manufacturing operations offshore to lower cost. The report concludes that this move is "contrary to the best interests of the Department of Defense." The report states that these foreign chips open the possibility for backdoors or "Trojan horses" to be embedded into the microchips used for military applications.
From a security standpoint, it would be much safer for the military to use commercial off the shelf components for their applications, since the supplier would not know the ultimate purchaser. But this is not practical because of the requirements the military places on the purchasing process. The requirements are so stringent that the microchips have very few commercial applications. Many times a supplier can look at the purchase order and determine that the chips will be used for military applications.
The Defense Department report concludes that their suppliers face a major microchip supply problem that "threatens the security and integrity of classified and sensitive circuit design information … and the correct functioning of electronic systems."
Previous reports about Chinese products:
Is China trying to poison Americans and their pets?
More lead-poison toys from China recalled
Florida company recalls 'toxic' China toothpaste
China products choke, burn, drown, drop, trap Americans
China's toothpaste contaminant has long, deadly, grisly history
Guess which country topped 2007 recall list?
China's toy sweatshop pays 36 cents an hour
Chinese government not to blame for infected hard drives?
China, U.S. near 1st agreement on food imports
Latest China scare: Don't eat the ginger
Latest China food scare: Don't eat pickled vegetables!
Made in China, recalled in U.S.
Snow: Product unsafe? Recall it
Chinese honey now reported among import dangers
'Dependence Day?' America at mercy of China fireworks
Sweden, too, worried about China imports
