Cisco posts kit to empty houses to dodge NSA chop shops

If they really wanted to dodge the NSA they wouldn't have released a press release about this let alone tell everyone about it. Sounds like a stupid PR stunt to me.

I'm sure that Cisco doesn't really think this would stop a targeted attack (as others have said, they've doubtless got insiders who can point these things out), but then they've got to try and do something to reduce the inevitable consequence of the Snowden Disclosures, which is that any organisation who has reasons to not want "Five Eyes" agencies to have easy access to their systems will have a strong incentive not to use hardware and software which could be intercepted and backdoored in this way...

Oh come on...So i'm guessing we are to assume the NSA doesn't have an insider electronic or human threat who can find out where these "empty house" packages are being sent and intercept that way?

How much money does the USG pay to Cisco per year? The fake shock of so many US companies who have been collaborating with the NSA for years is grating.

This reads like an Onion article.

If they're that concerned, they should deliver them themselves using their own personnel. And wait until that process gets compromised..

Translation: Cisco have now just completely gotten in bed with the NSA and the kit is backdoored before it even leaves the factory. There is no way the NSA would stand for someone as big and "establishment" as Cisco to get away with this sort of raspberry and Cisco desperately need some positive coverage to try and earn their trust back.