Washington

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Washington’s Contracts with Chinese Government-Owned Technology Vendors

Sensitive Personal and Financial Information is at Risk

Learn More about the Impact in Washington


The Problem

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


Who can take action?

Christine Warnock, Strategic Business Initiatives Manager, who is “responsible for the State of Washington’s metrics, strategic and business planning, including measuring and tracking for our centralized procurement program for goods and services.” (Read more)

Mark Quimby, Acting Director and Washington State Chief Information Officer who has “his sights on propelling the agency forward by leading and supporting the efforts to implement service solutions that improve and modernize the enterprise system.” (Read more)

What actions have Congressional Leaders taken?

Senator Maria CantwellSenator Maria Cantwell – Senator Cantwell has been one of the fiercest advocates for consumer privacy in the Senate. She has championed the importance of investing in cybersecurity measures throughout the U.S. economy and pushed federal agencies to take a more robust role in protecting Americans from privacy threats.  

U.S Representative Cathy McMorris RodgersRep. McMorris Rodgers has been a leader in the fight against the Chinese Communist Party’s malicious practices. She was recently outspoken on The China Task Force 2020 report, saying; “Here is what this report makes clearer than ever before. When America leads and innovates, the CCP steals and lies. (Read more on her efforts here)

Analysis

Despite military and intelligence agency bans, the Washington State Government has spent more than a combined $9 million on Lenovo and Lexmark products in the last five years. (See the State’s Freedom of Information Act request response here and our summary here.)


Select Vulnerabilities:

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

The Department of Enterprise Services manages many business and operational services that state agencies and municipal governments need to deliver public service, including lease management, accounting, human resources, and risk management. This is all work that involves sensitive personal information, yet it has spent more than $1.5 million on Lenovo equipment. 

The Washington State Legislature sits at the center of Washington State’s government. It has access to a wide range of information and maintains data that affects all Washingtonians. It has spent more than $1 million on Lenovo equipment. 

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety, health, and security of Washington’s 3.3 million workers. This work gives the agency access to health records, financial compensation records and other sensitive information belonging to a wide range of Washingtonians. L&I have spent over $3 million on Lexmark equipment.