[Discuss] "The Manchurian Computer"?

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

On 07/26/2012 02:44 PM, Kent Borg wrote:
> Jerry Feldman wrote:
>> Why not install Ubuntu 12.04 as the primary OS, with Windows 7
>> Professional in a Virtual Machine, The X230 is a 64-bit processor with
>> the Virtualization assist available on the CPU, and the setting can be
>> done through the BIOS.
>>   
>
> I turned on the virtualization bits in the BIOS, I expect to be
> playing with VMs, but I figured the Windows that came installed on it
> will be happier running on the hardware it shipped with, it is nearly
> in a conventional state, it is a "does the hardware work"-reference,
> etc.  And I don't need to figure out how to acquire and install
> Windows, etc.
> I don't expect to actually use Windows.  In my dying notebook I have a
> similar setup, and I long ago broke the Windows partition and haven't
> missed it nor bothered to restore it.
>
>
> My "Manchurian" musings are on the theory that the Chinese are
> aggressively trying to break into western systems, and that a Chinese
> company (not just Chinese manufacturer) would have extra opportunity
> to embed lots of stuff in products they ship.  Not just software, but
> in firmware and silicon.  Maybe keyboard recorders that can be read
> back given physical control of the computer.  Maybe network hardware
> features that can offer more deluxe remote access.
>
> Running Linux would break (most) Windows assumptions that remote
> access might depend upon, but clever attackers might be more OS agnostic.
> Lenovo seems like the make that would most likely have backdoors.  If
> the US government makes US manufacturers put in backdoors (as has been
> rumored) the Chinese are certainly not above similar behavior.
I don't think so. IBM uses Lenovo exclusively. Certainly what you are
saying could be true. Maybe the Chinese are behind Stuxnet and Flame :-)

-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
PGP key id:3BC1EB90 
PGP Key fingerprint: 49E2 C52A FC5A A31F 8D66  C0AF 7CEA 30FC 3BC1 EB90