Collaborate Disseminate
Huawei Technologies, the Chinese ICT infrastructure and smart device manufacturer, is now on UK’s security blacklist following technical “shortcomings” in the software used, writes Reuters. UK officials are concerned telecom companies… Continue reading UK government worried Huawei software could facilitate cyberespionage
The Democratic National Committee has warned candidates running in the 2018 midterm elections not to use devices made by Chinese telecom firms Huawei and ZTE because of security concerns. “[P]lease make sure that you are not using or purchasing ZTE or Huawei devices anywhere within your staff – for personal or work-related use,” DNC Chief Security Officer Bob Lord wrote in an email obtained by CyberScoop. Lord sent the email Friday to Democratic state parties and the DNC’s sister committees. U.S. intelligence officials have long expressed concerns that equipment from Huawei and ZTE could be used to spy on Americans due to the companies’ alleged links to the Chinese government. Both companies have vigorously denied the allegations. Lord cited congressional testimony from February, in which U.S. intelligence directors raised security concerns about the Chinese companies. “I wanted to highlight that the intelligence community does not make statements like this lightly,” […]
The post DNC tells candidates not to use Huawei or ZTE devices appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading DNC tells candidates not to use Huawei or ZTE devices
As the U.S. government works to neutralize its Chinese counterparts’ efforts to conduct surveillance via commercial telecom products, it may unintentionally jeopardize the United States’ bid to beat China to a nationwide 5G network. This summer, U.S. officials, policymakers and allies have cracked down on Huawei and ZTE, two large Chinese smartphone and telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The pair are believed to have a cozy relationship with the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army. Washington fears that relationship could lead Beijing to tap into equipment owned by those companies to siphon sensitive information and possibly lay the groundwork for cyberattacks. But many industry, trade and technological experts are worried the measures may come at a steep price. The quest to upend China’s surveillance capabilities may be hurting America’s competitiveness in the race to develop and roll out 5G wireless technology. The dilemma presents the latest — and perhaps fiercest — technological showdown between Washington […]
The post Fighting Chinese cyber-espionage could cost U.S. 5G dominance appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading Fighting Chinese cyber-espionage could cost U.S. 5G dominance
A new report from a U.S. counterintelligence agency details persistent efforts by China, Iran, and Russia to steal U.S. trade secrets, warns that those campaigns are here to stay and raises concerns about the software supply chain as a vector for economic espionage. China, Iran, and Russia are “three of the most capable and active cyber actors tied to economic espionage,” and they will “remain aggressive and capable collectors of sensitive U.S. economic information and technologies, particularly in cyberspace,” the report from the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) states. Last year was a “watershed” year in public reporting of big software supply-chain operations, with seven incidents reported compared to just four between 2014 and 2016, according to the NCSC, which is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The counterintelligence agency cites the seminal NotPetya attack, which U.S. officials blamed on Moscow, and the CCleaner backdoor, which […]
The post Economic cyber-espionage is here to stay, U.S. counterintelligence report says appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading Economic cyber-espionage is here to stay, U.S. counterintelligence report says
In the face of regulatory pressure from the U.S. government, Huawei, a Chinese telecom company at the center of long-running cyber-espionage allegations, is flouting its apparent American beneficiaries. “Ripping out and replacing” a raft of Chinese-made telecom gear from existing U.S. infrastructure won’t be easy, a group of regional U.S. telecommunications companies protested to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) this week. Trade groups representing these smaller American service providers have joined with Huawei in slamming the FCC’s proposal to ban American telecoms from using federal subsidies to purchase Chinese-made equipment, based on messages shared with the agency. In a second wave of comments filed to the FCC on Monday, Huawei defended itself, writing that its products do not pose security risks, that the opposition to its American presence is driven by protectionism and economic competition and that its American clients choose its products because they are cheap, reliable and effective. Huawei cited roughly a dozen other entities […]
The post American companies protest FCC pressure on Huawei appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading American companies protest FCC pressure on Huawei
A bipartisan trio of senators have asked the Department of Commerce to clarify that U.S. companies are welcome to remove products from their networks made by controversial Chinese telecom company ZTE. Republican Sens. Tom Cotton, Ark., and Marco Rubio, Fla., along with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., say they strongly support the department’s April “denial order” barring ZTE from buying U.S. technology components for seven years. However, the senators are concerned that the order is ambiguous to the point of hindering the removal of ZTE gear from U.S. infrastructure. On Monday, they wrote Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross asking his department to issue guidance and waivers to help U.S. companies clear their networks of ZTE software and hardware. U.S. officials have long warned that the Chinese government could leverage technology built by ZTE and fellow Chinese telecom Huawei to spy on Americans – accusations the companies deny. The Commerce Department […]
The post Senators want Commerce to help U.S. firms ditch ZTE appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading Senators want Commerce to help U.S. firms ditch ZTE
The Huawei MateBook X Pro is a stunning new premium PC that outclasses the competition and does so at a lower price.
The post Huawei MateBook X Pro Review appeared first on Thurrott.com.
Continue reading Huawei MateBook X Pro Review
The U.S. government has been quietly warning technology companies about the security risks posed by doing business with Huawei and ZTE, two Chinese telecommunications firms that are closely linked with China’s government. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told CyberScoop Thursday at a national security conference that the government is holding classified briefings to warn private companies of the intelligence concerns. He said the companies that have been briefed are aware of the concerns, but are also “prioritizing market access.” “I think it’s important for us to do what we can to warn people about the threat,” Rubio said. “I think some of those companies are aware of [the intelligence concerns], but they make the decision that they’ll worry about that later. They want access to 1.3 billion people.” The news comes as the Trump administration is trying to persuade lawmakers to drop their opposition to a trade deal that would revive ZTE’s access […]
The post In private briefings, U.S. government raises concerns over Huawei and ZTE appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading In private briefings, U.S. government raises concerns over Huawei and ZTE
Five U.S. lawmakers urged Google CEO Sundar Pichai to end the company’s partnership with Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant that faces increasingly harsh criticism from Congress on national security grounds. Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., along with Reps. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., sent the public letter on Wednesday. Earlier this month, lawmakers including Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Google’s Huawei partnerships raises “serious national security concerns.” The bipartisan group urged Google to reconsider their partnership with Huawei due to national security concerns, including investigations into Huawei dating back to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s 2012 critical report on the company. “We urge you to reconsider Google’s partnership with Huawei, particularly since your company recently refused to renew a key research partnership, Project Maven, with the Department of Defense,” the letter reads. “While we regret that Google did not want to continue a long […]
The post Lawmakers urge Google to end partnership with China’s Huawei appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading Lawmakers urge Google to end partnership with China’s Huawei
A new bipartisan Senate bill would try to get to the bottom of supply chain risks by setting up a new federal acquisition council that would include representation from the intelligence community and Defense Department. The goal of the bill is to help streamline coordination between agencies so that the government can avoid buying technology that’s bugged by foreign spies. The “Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act” was introduced Tuesday by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. It tasks agencies across the government with creating a strategy to tackle supply chain threats embedded in federally procured technology systems. If a malicious piece of equipment enters the supply chain of government agencies, experts say it could be used for espionage or more destructive purposes. The announcement comes after a year in which top officials have repeatedly grappled with national security concerns surrounding Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, an anti-virus software maker that […]
The post Senate bill hopes to sort out supply-chain cybersecurity risks, prevent next Kaspersky drama appeared first on Cyberscoop.