Supermicro reaffirms security of Supermicro products, refutes
Bloomberg article
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Super Micro
Computer, Inc. (SMCI), a global leader in enterprise computing,
storage, networking solutions and green computing technology,
strongly refutes the accuracy of information in a recent Bloomberg
article.
Bloomberg's story is a mishmash of disparate and inaccurate
allegations that date back many years. It draws farfetched
conclusions that once again don't withstand scrutiny. In fact, the
National Security Agency told Bloomberg again last month that it
stands by its 2018 comments and the agency said of Bloomberg's new
claims that it "cannot confirm that this incident—or the subsequent
response actions described—ever occurred." Despite Bloomberg's
allegations about supposed cyber or national security
investigations that date back more than 10 years, Supermicro has
never been contacted by the U.S. government, or by any of our
partners or customers, about these alleged investigations.
Bloomberg has produced no conclusions from these alleged
investigations. Nor could Bloomberg confirm to us if any alleged
investigation was even ongoing. To the contrary, several of the
U.S. government agencies Bloomberg claims had initiated
investigations continue to use our products and have done so for
years.
Because we recognize that security threats are constantly
evolving, we are vigilant and address issues as soon as we become
aware of them. For example, many years ago, an Intel employee
raised a question that we were not able to verify, but out of an
abundance of caution, we promptly took steps to address. We
have always valued our close partnership with Intel, which has
always been strong. Furthermore, the update site referenced in the
Bloomberg article have been long retired in favor of newer, secure
(HTTPS) technology. Finally, the cyber incidents we disclosed
in 2019 were investigated, remediated, and determined not to affect
our business, our products, or our operations.
Unfortunately, Bloomberg continues to attempt to revive its
false and widely discredited 2018 story. In response to those
allegations, we have never found any malicious chips, even after
engaging a third-party security firm to conduct an independent
investigation on our products.
In addition, we have never been informed by any customer or
government agency that such chips have ever been found. In 2018,
several public and private sector officials rebutted the story on
the record. Then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Kirstjen Nielsen said we "do not have any evidence that supports
the article," then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated "we've seen no evidence" of
manipulation of Supermicro products, Federal Bureau of
Investigation Director Christopher
Wray warned officials to "be careful what you read" about
the 2018 Bloomberg claims, and Apple CEO Tim Cook said "it is 100 percent a lie, there is
no truth to it" and urged Bloomberg to "do the right thing" and
"retract their story." The NSA said at the time it was "befuddled"
by Bloomberg's report and was unable to corroborate it.
Supermicro is an American success story, founded and
headquartered in San Jose, Calif.,
in 1993. The quality, security, and integrity of our products is
our top priority, and we constantly implement new and improved
security features and processes in our business, we investigate
security issues that are brought to our attention and we work to
remediate any issues.
About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Supermicro (Nasdaq: SMCI), the leading innovator in
high-performance, high-efficiency server and storage technology is
a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for
Enterprise Data Center, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence,
and Edge Computing Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to
protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green®"
initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient,
environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.
Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT
Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro
Computer, Inc.
All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. Supermicro, Building Block Solutions and We Keep
IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro
Computer, Inc.
All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Media Contact:
Greg Kaufman
Super Micro Computer, Inc.
PR@supermicro.com