Intel, DoD cited in port scanning allegations

A USER who claimed that defective Intel motherboards pose a safety risk has filed a complaint with the Finnish police alleging his machines were port scanned by the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intel, an allegation both organisations deny.

Peter Åberg has also filed complaints with EU and other consumer bodies claiming voltage regulators repeatedly failed on different Intel-based machines he was using, prompting his son Mikal Åberg to produce a report which he offered to sell to Intel.

But his most extraordinary claims are to do with successful port scans he said started on the 7th of March this year, which he alleges were traced to Intel, the US Department of Defense, and the French Societé International de Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA).

Åberg said he faxed a complaint to the US DoD and received an answer from the US Strategic Command saying there was no evidence of its traffic hitting or being received at his IP address. An official at the agency suggested that there was a strong possibility the traffic was spoofed to a fake source IP address by hackers using available software tools.

On the 6th of April this year, Åberg took further action by filing a "dangerous product" filing with the Finnish EU electrical product safety authority TUKES, based on his son's report. On the same day, he filed criminal charges with the Finnish police citing Intel, SITA and DISA and producing what he alleges is evidence of port scans and other correspondence.

We talked to an Intel representative at its HQ in Santa Clara. He said the firm "absolutely denies" engaging in any port scan activity.

When the report about the Prescott motherboards was first received, a representative contacted the Åbergs, offering to put them in touch with Intel engineers, an offer that was declined. Intel, as a matter of corporate policy, sometimes used outside consultants to conduct research, but never paid for such types of unsolicited research.

The representative said it had been notified of an investigation by TUKES and it was fully cooperating with that. He said: "We've concluded that the Prescott products are safe products. We're fully cooperating with TUKES."

Intel, however, was unaware of any investigation by the Finnish police. If it is approached as the subject of complaints Åberg has filed, it will fully cooperate with the police in the course of their inquiries. µ