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You could be under surveillance by the Chinese government. Investigators reportedly discovered Chinese spy chips in Amazon and Apple hardware.
For example, Amazon supposedly found tiny Chinese spy chips embedded in computer server motherboards manufactured for Elemental Technologies. Elemental reportedly has several national security and military contracts. This worries security experts because computer servers are the backbone of the internet.
A top-secret federal probe also discovered Chinese spy chips in motherboards used by data centers, the CIA, and the Defense Department, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Data centers are the giant banks of servers used by internet companies like Alphabet (Google), Apple, and Amazon.
Are Chinese Spy Chips Tracking You Online?
Notably, Chinese spy chips could create “a stealth doorway into any network that included the altered machines.” Therefore, it is possible that Chinese authorities are tracking or monitoring Americans’ internet usage.
Chinese spies could monitor your Amazon purchases, Google searches, Netflix video downloads, or visits to news websites. In particular, Chinese authorities could determine which Americans are visiting websites critical of their government.
Furthermore, Federal investigators think someone added the Chinese spy chips to electronics at factories in the People’s Republic. Amazingly, the Chinese spy chips are supposedly the size of a grain of rice. Under the present circumstances, these chips threaten the security of all electronics and digital infrastructure.
Chinese Spy Chips Could Be Everywhere
Moreover, investigators believe operatives from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) probably inserted the chips. The PLA is the official name for China’s military.
China manufactures 75% of the world’s mobile phones and 90% of its computers. Consequently, the Chinese can install spy chips in almost any gadget you buy.
These surveillance devices could easily infiltrate the Internet of things (IoT). To explain, the Internet of things is the vast network of devices connected to the world wide web.
How Chinese Spy Chips Threaten National Security
The potential security risk is great because today’s Internet of things includes everything from cars to industrial robots to refrigerators.
For example, Chinese spy chips could monitor manufacturing activity through industrial robots and the IoT. That could enable the PLA to monitor America’s weapons manufacturing specifically.
With this in mind, it is safe to conclude that Chinese spy chips are threatening America’s national security. Bloomberg Businessweek claims the chips might be in CIA drones, Department of Defense datacenters, and Navy warships.
In addition, Amazon’s Web Services subsidiary (AWS) operates a “secret cloud region” for the CIA and other intelligence agencies. Obviously, Chinese spies would love to penetrate AWS and the secret cloud. The secret cloud is at considerable risk because AWS is an Elemental customer.
Are Spy Chips For Real?
It is important to realize that there is still significant doubt about the Chinese spy chips.
Particularly, Amazon and Apple are denying Bloomberg’s allegations that the chips compromised their servers. The Verge reports that both companies are refuting the spy chip claims.
Amazon, for instance, claims there were no spy chips or security breaches. Meanwhile, Apple maintains it has never found malicious chips and was not aware of an FBI investigation into Chinese spy chips.
A top British spy agency, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), believes Amazon and Apple’s denials. The GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Center told Reuters that there is no threat from Chinese spy chips.
The GCHQ knows a lot about spy chips because it is Britain’s equivalent to America’s National Security Agency (NSA). In particular, the mission of both the GCHQ and NSA is electronic spying.
In today’s world, Americans have to worry about surveillance from their government and foreign regimes. The possibility of Chinese spy chips further demonstrates that foreign governments are probably watching you.
