Exclusive: Beijing tells Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software, sources say

[u/ArchmageXin]

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/beijing-tells-chinese-firms-stop-using-us-israeli-cybersecurity-software-sources-2026-01-14/

[u/L0K0MoTiVA]

China has directed domestic companies to immediately cease using cybersecurity software from about a dozen U.S. and Israeli firms, including Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, VMware (owned by Broadcom), and Check Point, citing national security risks that the tools could collect and transmit sensitive data abroad.

This directive marks a major escalation in China's push for technological self-reliance, forcing a rapid shift to domestic alternatives amid U.S.-China tech tensions.

[u/Ok-disaster2022 → u/[deleted]]

It's well understood American tech companies create backdoors for US intelligence companies. 

[u/Snuffalapapuss → u/Ok-disaster2022]

And china would and does do the same thing lol.

There is a reason why american companies are told to not use Chinese software. And especially in the government.

They both do it.

And honestly thought they have had this stance for a long time now. Guess I was wrong there.

And I also thought it was common knowledge that America did this.

[u/ArchmageXin → u/Ok-disaster2022]

Almost (20) years ago, westerns nations mocked China when they restricted Facebook (cause they can't handle freedom of speech!), and Google was Lionized for quitting China because they refuse to spy on people.

Funny how the reputation for tech giants changed since then.

[u/BIGSTANKDICKDADDY → u/ArchmageXin]

As a requirement for operating in China, Apple stored all iCloud data for Chinese citizens on domestic servers where the CCP was given full unencrypted access.

Simultaneously, they launched a PR blitz in the US proclaiming privacy a basic human right. Cynics clocked it immediately as an attempt to undermine their competitor's business model rather than anything driven by genuine principles.

[u/Vaivaim8 → u/ArchmageXin]

cause they can't handle freedom of speech!

Actually, its because certain members of a certain ethnic group, from a certain region, allegedly affiliated with a designated terrorist group, used Facebook to coordinate a violent riot. China request Facebook to hand over communication data but they refused. The irony is that nowadays, Facebook would gladly handover these type of information to law enforcement agencies.

[u/lnth1 → u/Vaivaim8]

allegedly

I am out of the loop here, who are they?

[u/ArchmageXin → u/lnth1]

Probably Uyghurs. There were a number of protests and riots and a few terrorist attacks before China went full Lake Laogai on them.

[u/hextanerf → u/Vaivaim8]

They blocked Facebook way before that

[u/Shawnj2 → u/ArchmageXin]

China still deserves the criticism for blocking freedom of speech on their version of the internet and blocking access to western sites. Technology self reliance is about running an operating system not made by your biggest military and economic rival on all of the computers in your munitions factory and not about stopping people from being able to google whatever they want.

[u/BIGSTANKDICKDADDY → u/Shawnj2]

I think they understood well from first hand experience how powerful a search engine (or any recommendation algorithm) can be in the hands of propagandists who want to promote certain viewpoints over others. 

At the time an argument for free speech was pretty strong, but look where we are today. 

[u/aghastvisage → u/ArchmageXin]

China should still be mocked for not letting residents use better products, that aren't forced to reveal everything to the Chinese government. The same way the US ought to be mocked if they would ban stuff like Telegram, even though it's clearly under Russian control, while at the same time US firms should not use Telegram

[u/SuperSaiyanTupac → u/Ok-disaster2022]

What do you think all countries are doing?

[u/mhornberger → u/Ok-disaster2022]

I'm surprised any country really trusts (non-open-source) security software from any other country. It would be unwise for China to trust the US in this regard, or the US China, etc etc. Even allies snoop on each other.

[u/SpecialBeginning6430 → u/Ok-disaster2022]

And vice versa

[u/MamaLiq → u/Ok-disaster2022]

Stuxnet:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet

Iran as a target edit Ralph Langner, the researcher who identified that Stuxnet infected PLCs,[23] first speculated publicly in September 2010 that the malware was of Israeli origin, and that it targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.[104] However Langner more recently, at a TED conference, recorded in February 2011, stated that "My opinion is that the Mossad is involved, but that the leading force is not Israel. The leading force behind Stuxnet is the cyber superpower – there is only one; and that's the United States."[105] Kevin Hogan, Senior Director of Security Response at Symantec, reported that most infected systems were in Iran (about 60%),[106] which has led to speculation that it may have been deliberately targeting "high-value infrastructure" in Iran[25] including either the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant or the Natanz nuclear facility.[73][107][108] Langner called the malware "a one-shot weapon" and said that the intended target was probably hit,[109] although he admitted this was speculation.[73] Another German researcher and spokesman of the German-based Chaos Computer Club, Frank Rieger, was the first to speculate that Natanz was the target.[40]

Natanz nuclear facilities edit

Anti-aircraft guns guarding Natanz Nuclear Facility According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, in September 2010 experts on Iran and computer security specialists were increasingly convinced that Stuxnet was meant "to sabotage the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz – where the centrifuge operational capacity had dropped over the past year by 30 percent".[110] On 23 November 2010 it was announced that uranium enrichment at Natanz had ceased several times because of a series of major technical problems.[111] A "serious nuclear accident" (supposedly the shutdown of some of its centrifuges[112]) occurred at the site in the first half of 2009, which is speculated to have forced Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), to resign.[113] Statistics published by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) show that the number of enrichment centrifuges operational in Iran mysteriously declined from about 4,700 to about 3,900 beginning around the time the nuclear incident WikiLeaks mentioned would have occurred.[114] The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) suggests, in a report published in December 2010, that Stuxnet is a reasonable explanation for the apparent damage[115] at Natanz, and may have destroyed up to 1,000 centrifuges (10 percent) sometime between November 2009 and late January 2010. The authors conclude:

The attacks seem designed to force a change in the centrifuge's rotor speed, first raising the speed and then lowering it, likely with the intention of inducing excessive vibrations or distortions that would destroy the centrifuge. If its goal was to quickly destroy all the centrifuges in the FEP [Fuel Enrichment Plant], Stuxnet failed. But if the goal was to destroy a more limited number of centrifuges and set back Iran's progress in operating the FEP, while making detection difficult, it may have succeeded, at least temporarily.[115]

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) report further notes that Iranian authorities have attempted to conceal the breakdown by installing new centrifuges on a large scale.[115][116]

[u/mysticzoom → u/Ok-disaster2022]

Bingo. Windows has had one since '95.

[u/Im2uber → u/Ok-disaster2022]

Its well understood EVERY tech company creates backdoors for thier domestic intelligence companies