British cybersecurity officials publicise distrust of Huawei as Boris Johnson gives 5G green light
- The Chinese telecoms giant is deemed Britain’s only high-risk vendor, and British cyber watchdogs warn of ‘increased national risk’
- Document outlines five reasons why Huawei is a potential danger as company is allowed to help build high-speed mobile network
As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was making a political compromise on Tuesday in allowing Huawei build up to 35 per cent of the non-sensitive part of Britain’s future 5G networks, cybersecurity officials in the country were publicly laying bare their distrust of the Chinese telecoms giant.
The officials pointed to a lack of existing vendors in the market to provide the necessary technology for what is expected to be life-changing, ultra-fast mobile experience, leading one cybersecurity official to call the situation “crazy”.
Published alongside the British government’s announcement – which bars Huawei from “core” elements that deal with sensitive data – the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) outlined its advice on the use of equipment from high-risk vendors in the country’s telecoms networks.
The document singles out Huawei in a separate chapter, refers to it as the country’s only high-risk vendor (HRV) and warns of “increased national risk”, wrote the GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre.
It outlines five reasons why Huawei – the Shenzhen-based company that has consistently rejected accusations of being a national security concern to the West – constitutes a risk.