Governor Little

Prairie Infrastructure Protection Act First Step In Protecting Illinois’ Data

Posted on by China Tech Threat
As reported by AP News, a former Illinois Institute of Technology student was convicted in January of acting as a spy in the U.S after having sworn his allegiance to China’s Ministry of State Security. Equally frightening is the access Illinois may be giving to the People’s Republic of China through its purchases of risky Lenovo technology as uncovered in China Tech Threat’s (CTT) recent research. Though minimal – the state spent $8,472 on the dangerous technology – its presence in the Secretary of State’s office and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is troubling and makes key sensitive information vulnerable to Chinese espionage. According to its website, the Secretary of State’s office “manages one of the largest computer databases in… Read More

Spending on China Tech Troubling, But Texas Is Taking Action

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In February, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a statewide model security plan which includes a prohibited technologies list for state agencies. The list was created to address vulnerabilities presented by TikTok and other technology as the threat of Chinese access to critical U.S. information and infrastructure grows. If Texans knew their state spent $12,282,750 on dangerous Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo between 2016 and 2023, we expect they would want these China-owned manufacturers added to Abbott’s prohibited list.  China Tech Threat’s (CTT) research that uncovered this significant spending also revealed this risky technology is being used by the Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Legislative Council, and State Auditor, among others.  The spending is concerning not only because of the… Read More

Idaho’s Bill to Thwart Contracts with Chinese-Owned Companies Advances to Governor Little’s Desk

Posted on by China Tech Threat
Having already passed the House, the Senate (28-7) overwhelmingly approved HB 294 last week, so the bill is off to Governor Little’s desk.  Introduced by Representatives Sage G. Dixon and Edward H. Hill, this bill would prohibit public contracts with companies owned or operation by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We anticipate the Governor will sign HB 294 into law, given his 2022 Cybersecurity Task Force Report published 18 recommendations, including defending sensitive personal and financial data held by state agencies. (The policy was featured in CTT’s 2022 State Policy Ideas Memo.) As recently reported in our Idaho fact sheet, between 2015 and 2022 the state spent $33 million on Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo. These companies have… Read More