China Embedded Spy Microchips in Apple and Amazon Boards Shipped to the US

Chinese intelligence agencies have reportedly been spying on 30 of the largest US corporations, including Amazon and Apple, for an extended period. This was made possible by a tiny microchip embedded in the motherboards intended for the servers of these companies.

These boards were originally manufactured in China, making it unsurprising that Chinese intelligence had the opportunity to install the chip. The boards were then shipped to the United States for use in major government and commercial organizations.

According to Bloomberg, which cited its own sources, these boards were found to contain microchips used by China for espionage on a catastrophic scale.

The Bloomberg report mentions the American company Supermicro, which works with suppliers from China. Supermicro has around 900 clients in 100 different countries worldwide.

US intelligence agencies had apparently long suspected that China might use such a method to spy on US infrastructure. The first evidence of this espionage was discovered in 2015, when Amazon employees found microchips embedded in the motherboards. Shortly afterward, similar chips were also found in Apple’s equipment.

Chinese intelligence reportedly used all possible means—including bribery and threats—to ensure the microchips were integrated into the standard design of the boards. The device was placed as close as possible to the controller to provide remote access to its memory.

Now, it seems the US has shifted its focus to China as the country’s main cyber adversary. Concerns about election interference pale in comparison to the threat of hardware with built-in espionage devices entering the country.