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New Mexico’s Contracts with Chinese Government-Owned Technology Vendors
New Mexicans’ Sensitive and Personal Information At Risk
Listen to Dr. Roslyn Layton’s interview with Ricard Eeds, the Voice of Santa Fe, as she explains that the Chinese government can access any information from any Chinese IT company anytime, anywhere, and for any reason. In New Mexico, state contracts with Lenovo and Lexmark allow the companies to export sensitive data to Beijing.
Learn More about the Risk in New Mexico
The Problem
Chinese government-owned technology manufacturers, including Lexmark and Lenovo, have been banned by U.S. military and intelligence agencies because of security vulnerabilities. (Read the report)
Who can take action?
Mark Hayden, State Purchasing Agent, whose mission is to “obtain ‘best value’ in acquisitions through compliance with the New Mexico procurement code.” (Read more)
John Salazar, Secretary of the Department of Information Technology, whose job is to “provide state government a strong technical foundation to better serve its citizens and to create more accountability and efficiency in the information technology arena.” (Read more)
What Actions have Congressional Leaders Taken?
Senator Martin Heinrich has pushed for greater investment in AI and emerging technology to ensure American tech dominance and avoid reliance on Chinese tech. (Read more on his efforts here.)
Senator Udall drew attention to the increasing Chinese in the 5G space, stating that American dominance in 5th generation networks is pertinent to national security. (See more from Sen. Udall here.)
Representative Torres-Small has taken action in the House to ensure the Chinese government cannot exploit technology in times of national emergency. (See more of Rep. Torres-Small’s work here.)
Analysis
Despite military and intelligence agency bans, the New Mexico State Government has spent $2.2 million on Lenovo equipment and $1.3 million on Lexmark products in recent years. (See the State’s Freedom of Information Act request response here and our summary here.)
Select Vulnerabilities:
The use of banned Chinese government-owned technology vendors by these agencies endangers New Mexico’s personal and financial information.
The Office of the District Attorneys prosecutes crimes in New Mexico. They have spent $905,275.37 on Lenovo equipment.
The State Auditor holds local and state government and elected officials accountable in the use of public funds. The office has spent $149,064.26 on Lenovo products.
The Superintendent of Insurance’s job is the consumer protection agency for insurance. The office has spent $53,569.22 on Lexmark products.
The State Ethics Commission is to promote the integrity of state government. The office has spent $6,364.08 on Lenovo products.
More Information
ChinaTechThreat.com discovers New Mexico government agencies have risky IT contracts with Chinese-controlled companies banned by the Pentagon and several federal agencies. Through Freedom of Information Act requests, shocking information has come to light; New Mexico purchased nearly $2.2 million of Lenovo equipment and over $1.3 million in Lexmark products between years 2015-2020. According to state records, that money was used to purchase computers, desktops, laptops, tablets, accessories, and software even during the COVID-19 pandemic when thousands of government workers and students transitioned to a work-from-home protocol.
ChinaTechThreat.com says these IT contracts with New Mexico state agencies potentially allow the Chinese government access any information collected, processed, and stored by these such agencies as New Mexico’s District Attorney’s offices, the Office of the State Auditor, the State Personnel Office and the Human Services Department. These offices have private, sensitive, and valuable information New Mexico’s residents and enterprises. Again, tech equipment from the PC-manufacturer and printer manufacturer has been deemed unsafe by the Pentagon’s Inspector General, the National Vulnerabilities Database and multiple defense and intelligence agencies in the US and abroad.