Published in Network

Huawei security issues will take five years to fix

by on08 February 2019


Will spend 1.5 billion pounds to keep the Brits happy

The Chinese technology giant Huawei has said security problems raised in a government report could take between three and five years to fix.

In a letter to Norman Lamb MP, the chairman of the House of Commons science and technology committee, the firm pledged to spend £1.5 billion over five years to address security concerns raised last year.

However, the Chinese company warned the process could take up to five years to see “tangible results” because it was like trying to repair a moving train.

Huawei’s carrier business group president, Ryan Ding, said in the letter that modern communications networks are complex systems that keep evolving in new and innovative ways. Enhancing its software engineering capabilities is like replacing components on a high-speed train in motion.

“It is a complicated and involved process and will take at least three to five years to see tangible results. We hope the UK government can understand this.”

The letter was in response to concerns raised by the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) in its annual report, a body that includes Huawei, UK operators and UK government officials.

It warned that “areas of concern” in Huawei’s security infrastructure meant it could give only “limited assurance” that Huawei’s involvement in UK telecommunications infrastructure did not pose a national security threat.

The company denied previous claims it could be compelled to assist Chinese national intelligence work using information gathered from the UK.

“Huawei has never and will never use UK-based hardware, software or information gathered in the UK or anywhere else globally, to assist other countries in gathering intelligence. We would not do this in any country. Were Huawei ever to engage in malicious behaviour, it would not go unnoticed – and it would certainly destroy our business. For us, it is a matter of security or nothing; there is no third option. We choose to ensure security”, the letter said.

The company has suffered a number of setbacks in recent months because of apparent concerns over its security: the Prince’s Trust recently announced it would no longer accept donations from the firm, and the defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, and the head of MI6, Alex Younger, have publicly expressed their concerns over the company.

 

 

Last modified on 08 February 2019
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