The NSA gives the Huawei 'security threat' story a new angle…

March 24, 2014

2 Min Read
NSA Reportedly Spying on Huawei: What's Chinese for 'Ironic'?

In an ironic twist to the war of words between US officials and Huawei, the latest revelations about the NSA's hacking activities shows how the US security agency tapped into the Chinese vendor's servers to monitor its internal communications and learn how its technology works. (See Obama Weighs In on NSA Data Collection.)

According to a report in the New York Times, based on information revealed by whistleblower and Light Reading Hall of Famer Edward Snowden, the US National Security Agency was hacking into Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 's systems to check on internal communications -- and to figure out how its technology works so it could hack into comms networks built using Huawei kit -- just as the US authorities were branding Chinese technology suppliers as security threats. (See US vs Huawei/ZTE: The Verdict and Light Reading Announces 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees.)

Not surprisingly, Huawei isn't impressed.

It's official statement, is quite muted, though:

  • If the actions in the report are true, Huawei condemns such activities that invaded and infiltrated into our internal corporate network and monitored our communications. Corporate networks are under constant probe and attack from different sources -- such is the status quo in today's digital age. We reiterate that Huawei disagrees with all activities that threaten the security of networks and is willing to work with all governments, industry stakeholders and customers, in an open and transparent manner, to jointly address the global challenge of network security.

    The security and integrity of our corporate network and our products are our highest priorities. That is the reason why we have an end-to-end security assurance system and why we are continuously working to enhance that system. Like other enterprises, we continuously block, clean and reinforce our infrastructure from cyber threats.

Of course, none of this (that Chinese firms pose a security threat, or that the NSA hacked into Huawei) has been proven with any "hard" evidence. What has been proven, though, is that security threats are a very major concern for network operators and their customers, and that network security is becoming an increasingly important issue for communications service providers worldwide as fixed and mobile networks shift to all-IP networks. (See Digging Into Mobile Security, The Role of Identity Management and DNS Attacks on the Rise.)

— Ray Le Maistre, Circle me on Google+ Follow me on TwitterVisit my LinkedIn profile, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out the agenda for Mobile Network Security Strategies, which will take place on May 21 at The Thistle Marble Arch hotel in London. For more on the event, including the stellar service provider speaker line-up, see the event's official site.

Read more about:

AsiaEurope
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.

You May Also Like