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Group Sees Spy Threat in Lenovo PCs

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

March 28, 2006, 11:25 AM

Citing fears of espionage, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) said Monday it would call for a probe into the plans for Lenovo to supply 15,000 computers to the U.S. State Department. The USCC said the computers could be bugged to spy on the U.S. government.

The group's reservations about a deal highlight the increasing concern among those in the United States of foreign companies' dealings with American firms. However, Lenovo is not standing in the group's way, and invited an investigation saying it had "nothing to hide."

Vice president of government relations at Lenovo Jeff Carlisle told BBC News that the charges were baseless and that the boards used in the computers are made in Taiwan, not China. The small island nation has been known for its resistance to mainland rule and its policies.

However, this fact is not enough for those who sit on the board of the USCC. They claim there is an "enormous" opportunity for the Chinese government to use the deal as a way to spy on the U.S., and expected a probe by Congress shortly.

"If you're a foreign intelligence service and you know that a [US] federal agency is buying 15,000 computers from [a Chinese] company, wouldn't you look into the possibility that you could do something about that?" USCC chief Larry Wortzel told the BBC Monday.

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By cousinkix1953

posted Mar 30, 2006 - 12:54 AM

Wanna bet that your fried rice crops were grown in California's Central Valley. Maybe you should check the packages for illegal aliens instead of communist spies. China and Japan already complain that they're importing too much American rice...

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 5:30 PM

>> "If you're a foreign intelligence service and you know that a [US] federal agency is buying 15,000 computers from [a Chinese] company, wouldn't you look into the possibility that you could do something about that?" USCC chief Larry Wortzel told the BBC Monday.

And that's why the whole world loves the US.

Score: 0

By Fickleflame

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 2:10 PM

So we can use their electronics, and eat their food, but we cant use their computers. Should I start checking my fried rice for little spys?

Score: 0

By Reap_r

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 10:37 AM

Paranoia is a good thing. Of course you can take this too far like anything, but it would be childs play to trojan these things at the hardware level. Here is a small example:
build a keylogger into the PS2 port on the machine (tech already exists for this google ps2 keylogger). Build it to use an "enhanced driver" that comes out later after the machine is deployed so that the keylogger has access to network stack. Then when the cache gets full it bursts it's memory out to a server somewhere. This could be months after it was deployed, so who would be watching. After all the thing is totally quiesent until triggered. Give me $20,000 and a couple months and I could build this into any machine you want. Without knowing to look for it you would not ever find it or stop it. All you need is for the server to collect the data from all the keylogger dumps and then parse it for keywords and you would have a treasure trove of intelligence.

I am not really that smart and I just came up with that off the top of my head. Anyone want to buy a cheap motherboard off of me?

Imagine what things they could come up with having the vast resources of the most populous nation in the world. I know for certain that they have few scruples (how could you when you run over protesters with tanks) and that they covet the technology of the west. Why is it so farfetched that they would use the resources they have and sneak a bit of data on the side? After all, the US has done it.

Score: 0

By 11001001

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 11:01 PM

I'm in no way supportive of China's government, but I think everyone is being a tad paranoid when it comes to these things.

I mean, after all, the US buying Chinese computers? It's definately a conspiracy to hide the fact that George W. Bush is from Polaris, and he's come to deliver Earth to the other Polarisians, which will cause the human race to be enslaved by our galactic masters.

I get too excited about exaggerations.

Score: 0

By Intrusive_Rogue

edited Mar 29, 2006 - 9:28 AM

Take me to your leader.

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

edited Mar 28, 2006 - 11:01 PM

Obviously they have no ITs working for them.

Or their ITs only drink coffee all day all night long and watch porns.

Score: 0

By Intrusive_Rogue

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 9:29 AM

"Or their ITs only drink coffee all day all night long and watch porns."

Not a far off description of a cushie govt IT position.

Score: 0

By ToyBoy

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 8:04 PM

The world is just getting so overly paranoid!
Does the state department make all its employees take off all electronic parts from their bodies and strip every time they enter the building? Who knows, maybe that chineese made watch on their hand might have a GPS transmitter or something, or maybe the chineese zipper on their trousers could have some hidden transmitter.

Score: 0

By mrbrown1602

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 1:44 AM

This is a much more common occurrence than you might think. In fact, Boeing manufactured a plane for the premiere of China, similar to our Air Force One. The Chinese stripped the thing completely to check for bugs (and I believe they actually found something? Somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong).

Score: 0

By cousinkix1953

posted Mar 30, 2006 - 12:56 AM

Hell; the high tech firms spy on each other just like the bad old days of the CIA and KGB...

Score: 0

By Joe Dirt

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 9:04 PM

You obviously don't have a clue what can really happen.

It's people like you who will say that the world is paranoid, until it comes true and then you're like "oh fsck".

Duuurrrh.....Duuuh. Doh kay.

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 10:56 AM

I think reacting to a reaction with an over-reaction is overreacting a bit. :)

Score: 0

By Joe Dirt

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 7:45 PM

Why in the world the Government would buy anything from China owned Lenovo is beyond me.

Buy Dell, or Compaq or HP.

IBM sold out to China. I wouldn't buy anything from IBM ever again.

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 10:59 AM

I never did anyway, at least not since OS/2 Warp. IBM couldn't score a touchdown if they were the only team on the field. They subsist on consulting and gouging customers with unrealistic promises.

Score: 0

By Scotch Moose

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 4:30 PM

I love my Z60m, made by Lenovo in North Carolina!

Xenophobia is ugly.

Imagine the American with his extra wide arse splayed out on his an extra wide recliner complaining about people who are willing to work harder than him for less money.

Enjoy it while you can because it can't last much longer.

Score: 0

By Joe Dirt

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 7:46 PM

Yeah.....That's me.

I don't support communist countries.

:-)

Go figure.

Score: 0

By eman8ions

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 3:21 PM

"If you're a foreign intelligence service and you know that a [US] federal agency is buying 15,000 computers from [a Chinese] company, wouldn't you look into the possibility that you could do something about that?"

... absolutely.

Score: 0

By anmol.2k4

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 1:18 PM

die you f~!@#$% Chinese die.
die
>-|

Score: 0

By anmol.2k4

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 1:28 PM

there was a bug in my pc.
all these years i was trying too blame it on Microsoft, dell, indian call centers, linus etc etc.

but now i KNOW china is behind all those bugs.
i hate Chinese.

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 1:22 PM

negative score in 3...2...1...

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 5:25 PM

That won't get a negative score. We all know betanews editors value cats higher than Chinese citizens. :P

Score: 0

By anmol.2k4

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 1:31 PM

die you f~!@#$% Chinese die.
die
>-|.

i knew there was one in BN.
ching ming pow woo shi ka nu mak fuk ur slf.
he he
-sorry

Score: 0

By Neoprimal

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 12:53 PM

It's the guilty mate syndrome. Don't any of you have a best friend who's a notorious cheater? Compare him to a completely faithful best friend....
99 percent of the time the cheating buddy is the one who's most cautious about his girl's actions - who is she out with? when is she out? where is she?....etc.
The faithful one, while not being completely naive, is not worried about his mate at all. His girl gets all the respectful freedom she can get *that is, respectful to say she's not out clubbing with friends till 5am while he's home in bed alone*.

Long analogy, but similar.

You're going to be paranoid and cautious about certain things because you have, or have at least thought of doing it yourself.

Not always a bad thing; if it makes the US and the welfare of US citizens safer, then there's nothing to complain about.

Score: 0

By eman8ions

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 3:22 PM

good comment

Score: 0

By xyzcb1

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 12:07 PM

Did this group foresee the US government spy on it's own citizens?

Score: 0

By Austin814

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 11:48 AM

And, where are the parts made for the computers they have now? All Dell's parts come from China/Taiwan too. Were talking about 15,000 PC's, with a "deal" that will be about $30,000...oh wait...government discount...$300,000. Anyway...what are you going to do about it, what computer can you get that is made in the USA from parts made in the USA by a US company? None.

Score: 0

By ghammer

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 11:40 AM

Perhaps.
The US didn't hesitate when bugs were put in a plane bought for the Chinese leadership a few years back. That was found when they took delivery.

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 11:31 AM

Hmmm...I suppose that would be possible, but it is kinda hard for China to pull off without it being discovered.

Score: 0

By Das mod

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 11:50 AM

is not hard at all to embeed certain extra functions on the MOBO chipsets ...
ex, the south bridge could have embeeded GPS and it could easily go unoticed since it'd be powered by the mobo's own current

Score: 0

By Scary Guy

posted Mar 28, 2006 - 11:44 AM

I don't see why it would be so hard, as our own government does it all the time.

Yes even to themselves.

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Mar 29, 2006 - 10:01 AM

or us.

Score: 0

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