The issues Mr. Gabrenya raised are part of a tension in the information technology industry, as crucial computer programming is increasingly performed outside the United States, either in the form of jobs exported from this country or by a growing array of foreign competitors.
The trend poses risks, in the view of some American government officials, because of the potential for foreign spies to sneak illicit code into critical programs, and simply because the United States is increasingly losing dominance in information technology.
“Software is so goofy because there is so many lines of code that hiding Trojans inside the system is the easiest thing in the world to do,” said Keith A. Rhodes, the chief technologist of the General Accounting Office. “Setting aside national security, we’re also talking about a tremendous advantage you give to your national competitors.”
