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Message-ID: <ebd8dd8e-37ee-40f7-8ca6-f3c91264b726_at_v15g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>
Subject: The Manchurian Microchip - Urban Legend
From: reginal..._at_hotmail.com
To: TSCM-L Professionals List <TSCM-..._at_googlegroups.com>
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Found this interesting tidbit in the Jan-Feb -09 issue of "Nexus"
magazine. When one factors in the number of attacks each day to US
national security type computer systems - supposedly originating in
the PRC, this article gives one pause for thought.
"THE MANCHURIAN MICROCHIP
The myth: Chinese intelligence services have concealed a microchip in
every computer everywhere, programmed to 'call home' if and when
activated. The reality, it may actually be true.
All computers on the market today - be they Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Apple
or especially IBM - are assembled with components manufactured inside
the People's Republic of China. Each component produced by the
Chinese, according to a reliable source within the intelligence
community, is secretly equipped with a hidden microchip that can be
activated at any time by China's military-intelligence service.
'It is there, deep inside your computer, if they decide to call it
up,' the security chief of a multinational corporation told The
Investigator.
'It is capable of providing Chinese intelligence with everything
stored on your system - on everyone's system - from email to
documents. I call it Call Home Technology.
'It doesn't mean to say they're sucking data from everyone's computer
today; it means the Chinese think ahead - and they now have the
potential to do it when it suits their purposes.'
(Source: Robert Enriger, "The Investigator", 18 October 2008,
http://cryptome.info/0001/manchu-chip.htm) [Note there may not be a
hyphen in manchu-chip.htm.]"
................................
Reg Curtis
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From: Thomas Shaddack <tsc..._at_shaddack.mauriceward.com>
To: TSCM-L2006_at_googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [TSCM-L] {3360} Re: The Manchurian Microchip - Urban Legend
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References: <Your message of "Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:31:45 PST."
<ebd8dd8e-37ee-40f7-8ca6-f3c91264b726_at_v15g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>
<E1LZpXu-0002q7-00_at_pop04.mail.atl.earthlink.net>
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For some chip-level fun let's check out this blog.
http://www.flylogic.net/blog
Lots of pretty pictures. You may enjoy.
Putting intentional holes into hardware is somewhat tricky. Sure, the
adversary can get away with it if nobody looks, but if the stakes are high
enough, there is somebody somewhere with a plasma etching device and an
electron microscope set to stun.
The motivations to spend the effort can be many; checking for absence of
backdoors is one option, attempting to reverse-engineer the chips is
another one. And the one who wants to rev-eng your silicon is quite likely
the one who is willing to use your own backdoor for their gain if they
find it. And they likely will, with sufficient effort, as the hardware is
its own documentation. The analysis can be pretty tough, but there are
computers that can help. The same machines that automate chip design can
help in the other way.
The two powerful disincentives against using obvious backdoors are the
possibility of discovery and publication (and the subsequent stink) and
the possibility of discovery and beyond-the-radar use (and the subsequent
security compromises).
Of course there's the deniable way of backdooring stuff, which then leaves
open a question if it is a feature or a bug. (I think the same thinking in
another context was called Kremlinology.)
> It is more likely the US has embedded secret code in electronic
> devices and and digital programs, and that fingerpointing at
> others is a cover. Or more likely than such venerable official
> deception is that one or more manufacturers has planted
> deeper protections of their investments while pretending to
> do their government's bidding, getting prepared for contracting
> officials to retire to reap lucrative board memberships.
>
> Rule One: Treachery by all participants is a given for human
> affairs on earth and the other places ripe with ponzi.
>
> Rule Two: Given too are protestations of innocence, along with
> paranoia, suspicion, blaming others, blind faith in a god most
> likely like oneself: lying, mean and cruel, out to steal chumps'
> goodies with guile and what else, love and false promises.
> Women and children the easiest pickings for fanged animals
> in costumes.
>
> Now can you send bucks for the only honest charity on
> earth, patriotic beyond belief, run by and for tax collectors,
> willing underwrite sending youngsters to die for your mangy
> hide. Vets get points for keeping the con going.
>
>
>
>
> >
Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:21 CST