Huawei Being Probed by U.K. Officials Over Security Concerns

A Huawei cyber centre operating in England is being probed by British officials to ensure the the country’s telecommunications network remains protected.

There are concerns that the Chinese company may be eavesdropping on e-mails and phone data, sparked by its “perceived links to Chinese State,” says a report from Parliament’s intelligence committee.

Allegations are based on the fact that the Chinese company’s founder Ren Zhengfei is a former People’s Liberation Army officer.

“There are concerns on both sides of the Atlantic about a potential security threat stemming from the access to communication infrastructure given to Huawei,” according to a Reuters report.

The U.S. has already cut ties with Huawei, fearful that China may be using the company’s equipment to spy on the country’s communications.

The telecoms equipment production facility first made its début in Britain back in 2005, when it signed a huge deal to supply telecoms operator BT Group.

In 2010, Huawei opened a security centre in Oxfordshire to test its products for security risks “before being linked to Britain’s critical infrastructure,” says Reuters, adding “The British government, which sees cyber attacks as one of the biggest threats to its security, said checks on Huawei’s role in Britain had been ‘insufficiently robust’ in the past.”

As a result, the British Parliament’s security committee (ISC) is demanding the government review security at the operation to ensure the UK’s telecommunications network is safe from any such attack, and may even consider allowing Britain’s spy agency manage the centre.

A Huawei spokesperson told BBC News the company does not have close ties to the Chinese state and is 98.6 percent owned by its employees.

In fact, the company claims it’s actually a victim of hacking, particularly from the U.S., and remains adamant that it’s not responsible incidents related to cyber attack threats, as reported by Reuters.

Huawei’s spokesperson added the company “shares the same goal as the UK government and the ISC in raising the standards of cyber security in the UK.”

“Huawei is open to new ideas and ways of working to improve cyber security,” the spokesperson added.

Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources

Huawei Being Probed by U.K. Officials Over Security Concerns

The post Huawei Being Probed by U.K. Officials Over Security Concerns appeared first on SiteProNews.