BusinessWeek: Fake Cisco gear could be used to spy on the U.S.

The current issue of BusinessWeek is carrying a scary in-depth look at counterfeit computer components, claiming that fake components have been used in warplanes, ships and communication networks. The magazine also cites an FBI report warning that fake Cisco gear could be used for espionage. According to BusinessWeek, the FBI briefing "questions whether the counterfeiting is 'for-profit or state-sponsored' but doesn't offer an answer." The magazine explains how "fake microchips flow from unruly bazaars in rural China to dubious kitchen-table brokers in the U.S. and into complex weapons." There are recycled-chip emporiums where workers strip chips from disgarded PC circuit boards and sell them after they've been washed in nearby rivers.

BusinessWeek has also published a video about its investigation, which you can view here.

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