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Comment by devx | Hacker News Reader

So, should we re-evaluate if Intel/AMD's chips (and possibly even the new ARM ones) contain hardware backdoors for the NSA?

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I would assume the NSA has evaluated every plausible attack, and implemented them based on what they want to get out of it, and that they have global reach into chips, peripherals, and software.

If you are a foreign government, hostile or friendly, I don't see much of a case to made for "Naw, they wouldn't..." They would, they probably can, and the probably already did.

If you are a consumer, the main problem is the creepiness factor. Who wants to use incrementally more technology if along with it you get incrementally more surveillance?

If the source code/hardware diagrams are kept private you should assume backdoors, always, with everything. How is there any other way to know for sure otherwise?

These government agencies are obviously dug much deeper in private industry than many expected so I wouldn't put it past them

If you see the diagram, and someone else makes the chip, how do you know the diagram matches exactly with what's on the chip? Unless you can make your own chip from the diagram, you still cannot be sure.

Very valid point, and I you're right you really would have no idea. You could check on some devices if you knew enough about hardware to compare the internals and the diagram, but that is a select few people.

This is why customer-company relationships and company integrity is becoming increasingly important, and frankly not many US companies are doing well in that regard.

The backdoors are already there...

http://www.techspot.com/news/41643-intels-sandy-bridge-proce...

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