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You'd have to go REALLY back to basics... a lot of chipsets have backdoors themselves.. some of which the FBI ironically pushed for. So no matter how securely y

by mfoy_ 11y ago

You'd have to go REALLY back to basics... a lot of chipsets have backdoors themselves.. some of which the FBI ironically pushed for. So no matter how securely you make your own OS if you don't also make your own hardware it's all for naught. Also if the government started making its own computers then private suppliers would raise a fuss about "big government" and hurting private enterprise. Also can you imagine the shitstorm ensuing from: "Government insists every tech company bakes in backdoors. Government then has to create its own computers because consumer models are too insecure."

hackuser 11y ago
> if the government started making its own computers then private suppliers would raise a fuss I imagine they'd be designed and built by Boeing or Raytheon or some other major military contractor, just like all the other specialized government equipment.
dbarlett 11y ago
The NSA has their own fab at Ft. Meade [1] and pays IBM to run one in Vermont [2]. [1] http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/issue-12/departments/cots-watch/nsa-seeking-new-business-for-in-house-cmos-wafer-fab.html http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/iss... [2] http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/04/0203/art1.html http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/04/0203/art1.html
- avs733 11y ago
  and used to have one in CA[1] and owns one in texas as well[2] [1] http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/NSA-.. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/NSA-.... [2] http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/iss.. http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/iss....
- Spooky23 11y ago
  Pretty sure the Vermont IBM facility is closed. Most of the surviving workers are at Global Foundries.
- cinquemb 11y ago
  They probably have a program that swaps their silicon for others as it's in transit from wholesale, probably called something like FRIEDPOTATOS probably in cooperation with DIGIKEY… jokingly of course.

by mfoy_ 11y ago

hackuser 11y ago

> if the government started making its own computers then private suppliers would raise a fuss I imagine they'd be designed and built by Boeing or Raytheon or some other major military contractor, just like all the other specialized government equipment.

dbarlett 11y ago

The NSA has their own fab at Ft. Meade [1] and pays IBM to run one in Vermont [2]. [1] http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/issue-12/departments/cots-watch/nsa-seeking-new-business-for-in-house-cmos-wafer-fab.html http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/iss... [2] http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/04/0203/art1.html http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/04/0203/art1.html

avs733 11y ago
and used to have one in CA[1] and owns one in texas as well[2] [1] http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/NSA-.. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/NSA-.... [2] http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/iss.. http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-9/iss....
Spooky23 11y ago
Pretty sure the Vermont IBM facility is closed. Most of the surviving workers are at Global Foundries.
cinquemb 11y ago
They probably have a program that swaps their silicon for others as it's in transit from wholesale, probably called something like FRIEDPOTATOS probably in cooperation with DIGIKEY… jokingly of course.