New Hampshire

The Problem

Chinese government-owned technology manufacturers, including PC-giant Lenovo, have been restricted by U.S. military and intelligence agencies due to fears of information security. (Read the report)

Who can take action?

Gary Lunetta, Director of Procurement Contracting, who works to “provide innovative leadership and quality statewide management services and support for efficient and cost-effective state government.” (Read more)

Denis Goulet, Chief Information Officer, whose vision is “to create one unified IT organization within the State of New Hampshire that meets or exceeds all our agency needs, while limiting redundancies, managing costs, maximizing vendor relationships, and delivering innovative technology solutions.” (Read more)

What actions have Congressional Leaders taken?

Senator Jeanne Shaheen – Senator Shaheen has been a prominent leader in the fight to confront the rise of China. In 2020, she introduced the America Labor, Economic competitiveness, Alliances, Democracy and Security (America LEADS) Act, to “provide our workers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and manufacturers with the skills and support needed to out-compete China and succeed in the twenty-first century.” Of the bill she said, “When it comes to countering China, the U.S. must level the playing field by leading with our like-minded allies abroad and providing our businesses and innovators with the tools they need to compete.” (Read more on her efforts here)

Senator Maggie Hassan – Senator Hassan has been leading policy to confront China’s rise across the world. Last year she helped introduce legislation that would require the U.S. to partner with allies in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, and elsewhere to develop a unified approach to address the rise of China. Of the bill she said, “Our country must stand with our allies in developing and executing a plan to counter China’s aggression.” (Read more on his efforts here)  

Analysis

Despite military and intelligence agency bans, the New Hampshire State Government has spent almost $1 million on Lenovo products and more than $8,000 on Lexmark products in the last six years. (See the State’s Freedom of Information Act request response here, our Lenovo summary here and our Lexmark summary here.)

Select Vulnerabilities:

The use of restricted Chinese government-owned technology vendors by these agencies endangers New Hampshire’s personal and financial information.

With its purpose of coordinating all technology resources in the executive branch, the Department of Information Technology has access to data that potentially impacts every New Hampshire resident. It has spent almost over $600,000 on Lenovo equipment.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is the largest agency in the state and holds data including private health records such, mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse records. It has almost $150,000 on Lenovo equipment. 

The New Hampshire Department of Education, which has spent more than $60,000 on Lenovo equipment, maintains data about students and educators, including test scores, grades, eligibility for free/reduced meals, teacher certifications, and other personal information.