Unfortunately, only experts and direct participants in the case know where the truth lies. This is because about a year and a bit ago, when “Bloomberg Businessweek” magazine published a claim that some motherboards had microchips added to them to track users. It was a complete bombshell. Of course, the company in question bravely claimed that they did no such thing. But whether that is true or not is impossible for us, the average consumer, to determine.

It is said that this time bomb is always ticking away in some kind of machine, or computer. It does not matter if it is an old one or one brought into a newly purchased machine. Companies claim that such a thing is impossible and does not exist, but there are those who think they can prove the opposite.

One such person is computer expert and security researcher Monta Elkins. He has quietly built a microchip in the basement of his home and plans to show it off at a security conference. Including what he used and how he made it. According to him, all he needed was a $150 soldering iron and a $40 microscope. He then paid $2 for each chip he ordered and began making. So, aside from the fact that he was able to resell both the solder and the microscope, the final product cost him less than $200. In other words, he proved that he could do anything he wanted with minimal expense.

One chip was even from an Arduino board (ATtiny85), which he overwrote with the necessary data. Then he put the chip, which was barely 5 mm, on the board and it was done. The firewall can be rebuilt directly in the computer using it, so a potential attacker has unfettered access to the machine. Potential attackers have unfettered access to the machine. All kinds of espionage activities are possible.

By the way, Monta was neither the first nor the last. Something very similar was done by another worker in the above mentioned field, Tramel Hudson. His little intruder into the motherboard was still half the size of Monta.

And companies say it cannot be done. Both men proved it was possible.