Fears raised over ‘Chinese spy cranes’ in US ports (www.telegraph.co.uk)

submitted 8 months ago by Rapidcreek@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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[-] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 41 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I work with heavy machinery (primarily tractors and forklifts) there's no reason to have a modem connected to any of its systems.

Tractors, forklifts, cranes, combines, etc don't need such connectivity and having such features is a major security and (depending on it's connectivity) a safety concern.

Hell when our new forklifts arrived they had dash cams pre installed by the factory, the first thing our shop technician did was remove them due to security concerns.

[-] NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth 7 points 8 months ago

And then installed their own so as to maintain safety right?

[-] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

No, they didn't put new ones on due to info sec reasons.

Edit: We have a large amount of cameras in the building from specific vendors set up in very specific ways.

None are wireless, none can be accessed from outside our network, and only very specific people have access to what they see.

[-] jacksilver@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago

Not exactly the same thing, but Jon Deere does put modems on all of their tractors so farmers can track where they planted what and where they applied what herbicides/fungicides/etc. It's largely driven by having data driven agronomy and farming, but the general idea could easily apply to logistical applications.

The real problem is why did no one know that it was being done.

[-] perviouslyiner@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Aren't cranes connected to the port's IT system so that they know which containers need unloading?

[-] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 8 months ago

I'd assume so (much like our forklifts) but that system should be fully independent from the control systems. That system should only have WiFi connectivity, set up in such a way it doesn't call out to (or gets exposed to) the Internet as a whole, and that system should be fully documented for the IT staff, there should be zero unknowns.

Not to mention the level of logging on those systems for proper info sec should be quite extensive.

[-] Chemical@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago

Article is paywalled

[-] chaospatterns@lemmy.world 44 points 8 months ago

Fears raised over ‘Chinese spy cranes’ in US ports

There are concerns that the machines are effectively Trojan Horses for Beijing and could be used to sabotage sensitive logistics

Unexplained communications equipment has been found in Chinese-made cranes in US ports that could be used for spying and potentially “devastate” the American economy, according to a new congressional investigation.

The finding, first reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), will stoke American concerns that the cranes are effectively Trojan Horses for Beijing to gain access to, or even sabotage, sensitive logistics.

The probe by the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House select committee on China found over a dozen pre-installed cellular modems, that can be remotely accessed, in just one port.

Many of the devices did not seem to have a clear function or were not documented in any contract between US ports and crane maker ZPMC, a Chinese state-owned company that accounts for nearly 80 per cent of ship-to-shore cranes in use in America, according to the WSJ.

The modems were found “on more than one occasion” on the ZPMC cranes, a congressional aide said.

“Our committees’ investigation found vulnerabilities in cranes at US ports that could allow the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to not only undercut trade competitors through espionage, but disrupt supply chains and the movement of cargo, devastating our nation’s economy,” Mark Green, the Republican chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN.

The Chinese government is “looking for every opportunity to collect valuable intelligence and position themselves to exploit vulnerabilities by systematically burrowing into America’s critical infrastructure,” he told the WSJ, adding that the US had overlooked the threat for too long.

The Telegraph has contacted ZPMC for comment.

‘The new Huawei’

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington DC said claims that Chinese-made cranes pose a security risk are “entirely paranoia.”

The US investigation began last year amid Pentagon fears that sophisticated sensors on large ship-to-shore cranes could register and track containers, offering valuable information to Beijing about the movement of cargo supporting US military operations around the world.

At the time, Bill Evanina, a former top US counterintelligence official, said: “Cranes can be the new Huawei.”

“It’s the perfect combination of legitimate business that can also masquerade as clandestine intelligence collection,” he told the WSJ.

In recent years, a handful of Chinese crane companies have grown into major players in the global automated ports industry, working with Microsoft and other companies to connect equipment and analyse data in real-time.

[-] GrabtharsHammer@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

Legend.

[-] CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Thank you

[-] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Hopefully, they don’t find out how much we import from China. Then we’d really be fucked.

[+] eatCasserole@lemmy.world -33 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

China is threatening US global dominance and the US is freaked out and very motivated to cast suspicion on anything Chinese. Remember that "spy balloon" that turned out to be a nothing burger? I wouldn't pay attention to anything so insubstantial as "fears raised". That's all they're doing - raising fear.

[-] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 26 points 8 months ago

China is threatening US global dominance and the US is freaked out

The US is "freaking out" because everywhere we look we find yet another Chinese back door that wasn't known about and isn't necessary. These things represent a fucking enormous security risk, especially when they are embedded in critical infrastructure...and yes cargo handing cranes are critical infrastructure.

I wouldn’t pay attention to anything so insubstantial as “fears raised”.

Then you are either ignorant or a shill.

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago

Your economy is collapsing around you. Why do you keep shilling for your failing government?

[-] hark@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

They're not shilling for the US and its "the emperor's new clothes" economy.

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

But what about-?

[-] hark@lemmy.world -2 points 8 months ago

But what about "Your economy is collapsing around you"? Nice job calling out your own hypocrisy. Your lack of self-awareness is hilarious.

[-] eatCasserole@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago

Believe it or not, sometimes real people actually disagree with you. It must be difficult to imagine independent thoughts that don't align with the narrative you follow, but they exist.

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Believe it or not, there is no "both sides" when it comes to Chinese spy programs. They do it. They don't want it done to them. Their economy is collapsing. Their social manipulation teams are required to remain in denial while their country falls apart at the seams. They are not allowed to have independent thoughts.

[-] eatCasserole@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago

Have you been listening to the Falun Gong? This comment is bananas.

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Time for you to look up "tofu dregs."

[-] hark@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

The US was all too happy to ship manufacturing over to China when US corporations could exploit cheap Chinese labor for juicy profit margins, but now that China is making their own things, suddenly China is a major threat. You're exactly right, but you'll be downvoted and criticized by people sucking down western propaganda while labeling you a shill, funnily enough.

[-] eatCasserole@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Yup 🙃

That propaganda must be tasty, they sure do gulp it down.

this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2024

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