Super Micro Tells Lawmakers It Found No Malicious Hardware in Its Products

(Bloomberg) -- Super Micro Computer Inc. said it has found no malicious hardware in its products and that no government agency has contacted the company about such hardware, rejecting a report that China’s intelligence services planted malicious chips in the company’s server motherboards.

In a letter emailed to Senators Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, Supermicro disputed Bloomberg reports on hacking of the company’s hardware. The letter, in response to a request for information from the senators, reiterates previous denials.

“We are confident the recent Bloomberg Businessweek stories are wrong,” wrote Perry Hayes, president of Supermicro Netherlands and Supermicro’s senior vice president of investor relations.

Hayes added: “We believe that it is impossible as a practical matter to insert unauthorized malicious chips onto our boards during the manufacturing process.”

In Bloomberg Businessweek’s report, one official said investigators found that the Chinese infiltration through Supermicro reached almost 30 companies, including Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. Supermicro and both Amazon and Apple disputed the findings. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it has “no reason to doubt” the companies’ denials of Bloomberg Businessweek’s reporting.

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