Remind the public that people in sensitive work don’t trust the fundamental security of a brand of computers.

That’s what this article on spy agencies not using China-made Lenovo computers does.

From the Australian Financial Review

The ban was introduced in the mid-2000s after intensive laboratory testing of its equipment allegedly documented “back-door” hardware and “firmware” vulnerabilities in Lenovo chips. A Department of Defence spokesman confirmed Lenovo ­products have never been accredited for Australia’s secret or top secret ­networks.

The classified ban highlights concerns about security threats posed by “malicious circuits” and insecure firmware in chips produced in China by companies with close government ties. Firmware is the interface be­tween a computer’s hardware and its operating system.

And while spy agencies are in the upper end of the sensitive work, in a knowledge economy, most knowledge that is not broadcast has some level of sensitivity, whether they are corporate spending plans, sales contacts lists, leads, schematics, blueprints, code, strategy, etc, etc.