UPDATED 14:56 EST / DECEMBER 11 2018

SECURITY

Supermicro says outside audit found no spy chips in motherboards

Two months after being named in a controversial Chinese espionage report, Super Micro Computer Inc. is claiming an outside audit has found no proof that spying hardware was installed on its products.

The chipmaker notified customers of the findings in a letter today. The memo adds to the backlash against the October story in Bloomberg that started it all. It claimed Chinese spies had embedded malicious chips into some of Supermicro’s widely used motherboards.

These allegations caused a major stir. Supermicro is one of the biggest motherboard makers in the world and its products ship with servers from a wide range of manufacturers. According to the October report, the compromised gear ended up in data centers operated by Amazon Web Services Inc., Apple Inc. and more than 20 other U.S. companies.

The story was taken particularly seriously because of how many sources it cited. Bloomberg attributed the information to no fewer than 17 unnamed people, six of whom were described as current and former senior national security officials.

The review commissioned by Supermicro directly challenges the report’s core claims. According to the chipmaker, the third-party firm behind the audit tested several of its products, including the specific type of motherboard depicted in the Bloomberg story. The evaluation also encompassed the product versions sold to Apple and AWS.

Supermicro said the investigation has turned up “absolutely no evidence” of spying chips. The company didn’t divulge the name of the firm contracted for the audit, but a source told Reuters that it was New York-based Nardello & Co. LLP, which describes itself as an investigative services provider led by former federal prosecutors.

“As we have stated repeatedly since these allegations were reported, no government agency has ever informed us that it has found malicious hardware on our products; no customer has ever informed us that it found malicious hardware on our products; and we have never seen any evidence of malicious hardware on our products,” Supermicro stated in today’s letter.

The chipmaker’s effort to put the spying allegations to rest is about much more than just restoring brand reputation. Supermicro saw its stock tank more than 40 percent after the October report and it’s still trading about 20 percent lower.

The allegations made such as splash that even the U.S. Department of Homeland Security got involved. Following denials from Supermicro, Apple and AWS, the department said in mid-October that “at this time, we have no reason to doubt the statements from the companies named in the story.”

Photo: Unsplash

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