Comments on: The need for independent verification: Biometric USB sticks http://www.mckeay.net/2008/03/14/the-need-for-independent-verification-biometric-usb-sticks/ The views of one man on security, privacy and anything else that catches his attention Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:44:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Vic Fichman http://www.mckeay.net/2008/03/14/the-need-for-independent-verification-biometric-usb-sticks/#comment-1395 Vic Fichman Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:19:02 +0000 http://www.mckeay.net/2008/03/14/the-need-for-independent-verification-biometric-usb-sticks/#comment-1395 Well even when the best intentioned companies do the right thing and present us with a valid and usable solution there's another danger lurking in the background... the manufacturing process and where the products are assembled. Anyone paying attention this last week to CNN couldn't help but see a front page story about electronic picture frames sold by a Taiwanese manufacturering company to American distributors like Best Buy and other leading retailers. It turns out the Taiwanese company assembly plant was actually in MAINLAND CHINA and an unknown party or parties was adding malicious software that was either crashing computers here or recording keystrokes and sending them on to the would be evil-doers! I've already warned the Pentagon about the fact all their uniforms are all made in China now... what's to keep the Chinese from spraying half a binary agent on them... then releasing the other half in the unlikely event of some hostilities between us. Why couldn't they do the same with electronic components? Of course it could just be that I'm a evil minded bastard myself and just naturally think bad things about my potential competitors/enemies. After all they've shown on an almost daily basis a willingness to play by no ones rules, not even their own! Caveat emptor. Well even when the best intentioned companies do the right thing and present us with a valid and usable solution there’s another danger lurking in the background… the manufacturing process and where the products are assembled.

Anyone paying attention this last week to CNN couldn’t help but see a front page story about electronic picture frames sold by a Taiwanese manufacturering company to American distributors like Best Buy and other leading retailers. It turns out the Taiwanese company assembly plant was actually in MAINLAND CHINA and an unknown party or parties was adding malicious software that was either crashing computers here or recording keystrokes and sending them on to the would be evil-doers!

I’ve already warned the Pentagon about the fact all their uniforms are all made in China now… what’s to keep the Chinese from spraying half a binary agent on them… then releasing the other half in the unlikely event of some hostilities between us. Why couldn’t they do the same with electronic components?

Of course it could just be that I’m a evil minded bastard myself and just naturally think bad things about my potential competitors/enemies. After all they’ve shown on an almost daily basis a willingness to play by no ones rules, not even their own!

Caveat emptor.

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