MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Microchips, smart devices, and software developed outside China may contain hidden tools embedded in their architecture designed to steal sensitive information about the People’s Republic, the Ministry of State Security has announced.
«Some foreign-manufactured microchips, smart gadgets, or software may be deliberately equipped with unauthorized access features (‘backdoors’) at the design and production stages. Using special signals, companies may gain remote access to these devices, collect and transmit specific data – for example, through automatically activated cameras or microphones,» the Ministry said in a WeChat post Monday.
The Ministry noted that while backdoors are sometimes designed to help developers patch vulnerabilities, they can pose a serious security risk by enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems when exploited by malign actors.
Accordingly, key personnel with access to classified information have been ordered to use Chinese-made hardware and software to reduce risks of foreign surveillance and data breaches.
Last week, US graphics processor manufacturer Nvidia announced that it had received approval from the Trump administration to sell its H20 computer chips, used in AI development, to China.
