Foreign-Manufactured Software, Hardware Shipped with Malware, Admits DHS

According to a high-profile officer in Homeland Security in a transparent interaction with Congress, unidentified foreign entities occasionally preload software and electronic products with malware, spyware as well as other spiteful elements that compromise computers' security before selling them in USA. PCWorld published this on July 9, 2011.

Issuing a statement, deputy undersecretary Greg Schaffer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate indicated that both the White House and DHS knew about the said kind of cyber threat since sometime. Examiner published this on July 8, 2011.

On enquiring if Schaffer knew about any hardware or software parts, which foreign manufacturers supplied after intentionally implanting security dangers in them, the DHS Official said with certain hesitation that he did know about cases wherein that had occurred. Fast Company published this on July 8, 2011.

Apparently, Schaffer didn't clearly indicate whether his observation was regarding consumer electronics that incase arrived pre-infected would imply pre-contaminated retail laptops coming in the form of bots for spam generating networks. In such situations, it'd be necessary for the malicious program to be sufficiently advanced for eluding security software that end-users' laptops usually had pre-loaded.

Moreover, so far as solely speculation goes, nobody would find it difficult for envisaging portable gadgets, PCs, and other instruments traded within USA being intentionally contaminated at the request of foreign governments or offshore firms.

Stated government official Darrell Issa, hardware, software infrastructure along with other items, which were developed in foreign countries and sent to USA had items already implanted within them during the while they traveled to the country. Fast Company reported this.

Schaffer stated that the DHS along with DOD (Department of Defense) established a team amongst themselves for probing the situation, finding out short-term mitigation objectives as well as making sure that the American manufacturing infrastructures had their integrity maintained.

Say the security researchers that counterfeit devices comprise technology that's most compromised, however, mainstream products too have possibilities of being contaminated. This is especially worrisome as Homeland Security refused to name the sort of technology its experts discovered with implanted malicious software.

Related article: Foreign Hackers Attack New Zealand Government Network

» SPAMfighter News - 7/18/2011