Microsoft says some computers infected on production line

[AnitaPeterson]

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19585433

Spyware and viruses were discovered when Microsoft digital crime investigators bought 20 PCs, 10 desktops and 10 laptops from different cities in China.

It's probably true, and some of you might not even be surprised... but can you imagine what would happened if fear and paranoia would take hold in this case? Would people from all over the world start poking the innards of their Chinese-made computers? Would the phenomenon stop at Chinese-manufactured items? What about Taiwan? Korea?

Let's hope this remains an isolated incident...

 

[SergeC]

This has been true for at LEAST a decade, just in my personal experience.

 

[SheHateMe]

I bet there's some people here in America that would love to make these computers for Microsoft and wouldnt be installing malware on them.

 

[CycloWizard]

Doesn't matter to me. I turn every new computer over to our IT people for imaging. When I get it back, it has eight media players, zero antivirus software, and up to 200 viruses pre-installed. Chinese industrial sabotage has nothing on these guys.

 

[davmat787]

I never thought of this until this thread, but imagine how valuable a line worker is that could install malware/spyware on every new PC going out the door. Would probably need access to the imaging system, but the point stands.

I imagine the groups that benefit financially from spyware/malware would pay a nice figure to someone willing to do this.

 

[HeXen]

HP has done this for years. I know that one i had some 10 years or so ago came with a rootkit, i just never tried to prove it nor sure what it did, had to manually remove it after an image install, then finally purchased a retail windows CD before just building my own.

 

[blankslate]

Would people from all over the world start poking the innards of their Chinese-made computers? Would the phenomenon stop at Chinese-manufactured items? What about Taiwan? Korea?

There are contractors hired by the Government to look for built in malware on foreign made electronic parts purchased for Federal Agencies

http://www.hulu.com/watch/257903
the relevant segment starts at about 8 minutes and 40 seconds into the hour long special.

If only we listened to Ross Perot in regards to outsourcing.

 

[zanejohnson]

hehe truth is this is all too common..

you ever tried to find drivers for a piece of chinese hardware.. you'll get some shit you dont want with it.. trust me.

 

[werepossum]

This has been true for at LEAST a decade, just in my personal experience.

Agreed. Industrial espionage is massive in Red China. There's even an AutoCAD drawing virus that sends drawings to various blind drops. (If anyone thinks their job is tedious, imagine going through thousands of AutoCAD drawings looking for something worth selling.)

Doesn't matter to me. I turn every new computer over to our IT people for imaging. When I get it back, it has eight media players, zero antivirus software, and up to 200 viruses pre-installed. Chinese industrial sabotage has nothing on these guys.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

MaximumPC has just picked up the story as well: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/cybercriminals_turn_supply_chain_infect_new_computers_malware

The next step - mark my words! - will be infected smartphones. And that's probably worse, 'cause at least you can build your own computers.

 

[rudder]

There are contractors hired by the Government to look for built in malware on foreign made electronic parts purchased for Federal Agencies

http://www.hulu.com/watch/257903
the relevant segment starts at about 8 minutes and 40 seconds into the hour long special.

If only we listened to Ross Perot in regards to outsourcing.

And here I sit at work typing my Lenovo laptop. But really this is the tip of the ice berg. How do you think China was able to redirect a large chunk of internet traffic through their routers for 15 minutes? Every piece of hardware that comes out of China should be suspect. No telling what code beneath the code is installed on routers and firewalls coming out of China.

 

[Matt1970]

These are not name brand PC's so the odds of million of infected computers coming into the US are pretty low.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

These are not name brand PC's so the odds of million of infected computers coming into the US are pretty low.

I'm in Canada. I have friends in Europe, Asia and Oceania. I'm talking about the whole world, and I never assume by default that this is just a U.S. forum, even though Americans may have the bulk of its membership. That's the most beautiful thing about the internet.

 

[Matt1970]

I'm in Canada. I have friends in Europe, Asia and Oceania. I'm talking about the whole world, and I never assume by default that this is just a U.S. forum, even though Americans may have the bulk of its membership. That's the most beautiful thing about the internet.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be US specific but I am assuming name brand computers like Dell and HP and the majority of purchases there too and the software installs are done at the Dell and HP factories. It's not like you are going to walk into Best Buy or Walmart and buy an infected computer.