Who in their right mind would think computers manufactured by the Chinese government for use in our security networks would be safe?
Yesterday the US State Department learned the danger of failing to "buy American" when it realized that the 1600 personal computers it purchased from China were not "safe" to use on its classified networks. Who in their right mind would think computers manufactured by the Chinese government for use in our security networks would be safe? Despite previously installing about 900 of the PCs on its secure network in Washington and at embassies around the world, the department opted this week to pull the computers from the network.
"It is no secret that the United States is a principal target of Chinese intelligence services. This decision would have had dire consequences for our national security, potentially jeopardizing our investment in a secure [information-technology] infrastructure," said House appropriations subcommittee member Frank Wolf (Va-R).
The State Department opted to pull the computers from the network only after a flurry of objections from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a bipartisan panel appointed by Congress.
Steve Young says, "A 'buy American' policy for anything concerning national security seems too obvious, but the Administration cannot even do that. Whose idea was it to transfer the NSA operatives responsible for preventing the State Department from making stupid mistakes, and put them on the 'let's spy on Americans' committee?"