According to Richard Clarke — who warned everyone about a ‘spectacular’ Al Qaeda attack before 9/11 — all electronics made in China could contain back doors that would allow Chinese hackers to spy and attack anyone they want.
He claims that these traps may be hidden in every device, from your iPhone and Android phones to every iPad, laptop and computer. Even your TVs or anything else made in China. His claims sound may sound preposterous, but he claims the evidence is strong:
I’m about to say something that people think is an exaggeration, but I think the evidence is pretty strong. Every major company in the United States has already been penetrated by China.
Clarke also believes that Chinese hackers have sneaked into the mainframes of companies like Microsoft, Cisco or Boeing, stealing their research and development secrets. He claims that Chinese companies are using these secrets to leapfrog over their Western competition. This claim is not that crazy: only two years ago Google experienced and denounced such an attack. The Chinese government denied any involvement or wrongdoing.
But perhaps he’s really just exaggerating. After all, the MIT graduate and former head of US counterterrorism under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush now runs his own cybersecurity company — Good Harbor. He also published a book called Cyber War, in which he details all these threats.
So who knows. All this could be a way to stir the pot and funnel some pesos into his business. Or he may be right. [Digital Trends]