Huawei: security not an issue, questions U.S. campaign

Huawei Director of Cybersecurity Sophie Batas told journalists from the company’s cybersecurity center in Brussels, “We are probably the most tested vendor in the world.” She explained that customers could perform a range of tests on Huawei products at the center, as well as at similar facilities in several countries, in addition to hiring third-party evaluators. Batas also criticized comments by Robert Strayer, U.S. State Department deputy assistant secretary for cyber, international communications and information policy, who told journalists on Wednesday that countries adopting risk-based security frameworks for 5G would lead to Huawei being banned. “I have difficulty believing that a government like the United States organized a press conference yesterday to single out one particular company, and I wonder why it is going so far,” Batas said. 5G technology plays a leading role in internet-connected products ranging from self-driving cars and smart cities to augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Batas cited law firms Zhong Lun, Clifford Chance and Ernst & Young had looked into China’s intelligence laws and concluded that did not allow Beijing to install backdoor features in a company’s equipment. Last month, Germany said the same rules should apply to all vendors supplying telecoms network equipment there but stopped short of singling out Huawei. As reported widely in the media, the two countries are entrenched in an on-going trade dispute.