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Huawei's Equipment Poses 'Significant' Security Risks, UK Says (cnbc.com)

The U.K. government warned on Thursday Huawei's telecommunications equipment raises "significant" security issues, posing a possible setback to the Chinese tech firm as it looks to build out 5G networks. From a report: In 46-page report evaluating Huawei's security risks, British officials stopped short of calling for a ban of Huawei's 5G telecommunications equipment. But the assessment cited "underlying defects" in the company's software engineering and cybersecurity processes, citing "significantly increased risk to U.K. operators." The findings give weight to warnings from U.S. officials who have argued Huawei's networking equipment could be used for espionage by the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly said it does not pose any risk and insists it would not share customer data with Beijing. In a statement Thursday, Huawei said it takes the U.K. government's findings "very seriously."

9 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. I'm curious by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How does it compare to the competition? It's not like there's been too much of a stellar privacy and security conscious record in the whole industry...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. Buy US gear by anonieuweling · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Buy US gear because then the US can use them backdoors in there.
    Chinese gear has no US-compatible backdoors.

  3. My Solution by AlanObject · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If I were driving Hauwei at this point I would open-source all the software running on my devices. Their competitive edge is in slave-labor manufacturing and insane levels of customer financing, not technical innovation.

    Of course they would still have to address the possibility of silicon or FPGA based backdoors but that might be worked out in a similar way.

  4. Re:Le sigh.... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is just the UK government towing the US line, because in a few weeks it may be rather desperate for a trade deal. No harm in getting the ass-kissing started early.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  5. US lap dog barks on command by bradley13 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember when the UK supported the US fantasy of WMD in Iraq?

    The US says "jump". The UK government asks "how high?"

    --
    Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
  6. Re:Another explanation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    In actuality it is the opposite. Huawei won't install the back doors the 3 letter agencies use on its hardware.

  7. Re:Le sigh.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It's kind of sad how much of a Chinese apologist you are to the point you will even be against your own country.

    If you like China so much why don't you move there?

  8. Re:Another explanation by BringsApples · · Score: 3, Insightful

    China has a dictator government, so everything in China is owned by it's government, at least from the government's perspective. Everything tech, from China, should be evaluated.

    --
    Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
  9. Re:Another explanation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Nah, it sounds like Huawei holds most of the patents on 5G infrastructure and is years ahead of everyone else getting hardware to market.

    5G doesn't exist yet. It's a marketing term for now, just like what happened to 3G and LTE. We have discussed this at length before this fiasco started.

    It's the least they could do after the NSA was caught red handed systematically backdooring Cisco hardware.

    Red handed? Tailored access operations tailors access to any equipment whatsoever. They intercepted Cisco hardware, modified it, and sent it on it's way. If you think that can't be done or isn't being done to any hardware manufacturer who has a customer the NSA has an interest in, you are beyond helping.

    It's time to put down the politics and look at the world of facts and reason.