| > Is there a course of action that's better than outright public denial? Sure. "We are currently investigating this issue and cannot comment until the investigation has concluded and we have determined the attackers, their motives, and possible mitigations". > Can they publicly state the truth, point the finger at China in the process, and risk having to immediately uproot their entire supply chain? Note that there is no reason to point the finger at China yet, only suspicion, but even if this were the case: I think China would stand to lose more from any uprooting. This would affect Apple short-term, but Apple has, for all practical purposes and intents, unlimited amounts of cash, and they could build up a new supply chain. Weren't they keen to move production back to the US anyway? China, on the other hand, would permanently lose this production line, and access to all the IP that comes with it. |