FBI probe nets counterfeit Chinese networking parts
The FBI announced Friday that an investigation into counterfeit network components made in China and sold to the U.S. government has recovered about 3,500 fake devices with a value of $3.5 million.
The criminal probe, code-named Operation Cisco Raider, was prompted by concerns that counterfeit network components could give hackers access to government databases. But one U.S. official told Reuters that the components discovered by the FBI are not believed to have made government computer systems more vulnerable.
The existence of the probe came to light after an unclassified FBI PowerPoint presentation in January on the agency's efforts to counter the production and distribution of counterfeit network hardware showed up on Abovetopsecret.com.
"This unclassified briefing was never intended for broad distribution or posting to the Internet," James Finch, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, said in a statement.
Operation Cisco Raider involved 15 investigations at nine FBI field offices and the execution of 39 search warrants, the bureau said. The FBI release did not mention whether any arrests had been made.
Components included pirated versions of Cisco Systems routers, as well as switches, interface converters, and wide area network interface cards, Reuters reported.
Plus, also understand how the US government procure their stuff. Whoever ordered should be as much to blame. Why?Had they just ordered from say Dell or bought stuff from the stores like everyone else, then no way this could have happened. But, in procurement procedures, these officials buy overprice stuff from unusualy sources and they get kickbacks.
As for the Clinton dig, which of course has nothing to do with this, I guess you probably also chose to believe Rush Limbaugh in the day (is he still around even?) and that Fox news is actually a 'news' show.
I would disagree with that. I work for Cisco and I can tell you that fake network equipment can shut down an entire network due to duplicate identity addresses of devices (known as MAC addresses on network routers and switches). Fake device manufacturers copy MAC addresses of genuine Cisco equipment and if both MAC addresses are found on the same network, a network security system can cause an alarm and shut down the entire network (including mission-critical systems). I just can't believe Chinese fake equipment made it's way to government's networks right under their noses.
Besides baby food, petfood,paints and AK47 and toothpaste and computer parts and aviation parts and autoparts and chemicals ,music etc etc are all counterfeit.
The problem isn't security as much as safety. This is the cost of being cheap. Not that all items coming from china are dangerous. The stuff that fails is what makes the paper (is there still a paper)
People are so outraged over crooked Chinese making a few bucks off gullible Americans. Where's the outrage of Halliburton making millions of dollars off of our dead Gulf War soldiers? I guess War Profiteering isn't a crime anymore.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/17/eveningnews/main636644.shtml
"But the Houston-based conglomerate once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney is neck-deep in allegations of waste and fraud involving millions of taxpayer dollars, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. She recently told Congress that while troops rough it in tents, hundreds of preferred Halliburton KBR employees reside in five-star hotels like the Kempinski in Kuwait with fruit baskets and pressed laundry delivered daily.
"It costs $110 to house one KBR employee per day at the Kempinski, while it costs the Army $1.39 per day to bunk a soldier in a leased tent," DeYoung said. Documents obtained by CBS News show an auditor repeatedly flagged improper fees for soldiers' laundry. At one site, taxpayers reportedly paid $100 for each 15-pound load of wash - $1 million a month in overcharges.
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by KenAtNews
May 11, 2008 7:51 PM PDT
- Did you guys forget that, all of you copied everything from others when you were a child? Why People mostly like to copy? First, it?s the fast and easy way to learn and improve the skills of yours. To a company, the ?fast? meanings save the costs and time, the ?easy? meanings avoid the risk, second? oh, I said too much, almost leak my CORE 'idea'. Whatever, children finally will grow up, let's see in the next few years
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