BT removing Huawei equipment

[sparkeh]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/05/bt-removing-huawei-equipment-from-parts-of-4g-network

 

BT has confirmed it is removing Huawei equipment from key areas of its 4G network as concerns are raised about the Chinese firm’s presence in critical telecoms infrastructure.

 

Governments in the US, New Zealand and Australia have already moved to block the use of Huawei’s equipment as part of the future rollout of 5G networks. Earlier this week the head of MI6 also suggested the UK needed to decide if it was “comfortable” with Chinese ownership of the technology being used.

 

In a statement, the UK telecoms group has confirmed it is in the process of removing Huawei equipment from the key parts of its 3G and 4G networks to meet an existing internal policy not to have the Chinese firm at the centre of its infrastructure.

[6Foot2]

Link: Huawei executive arrested in Canada [bBC News]

 

Canadian authorities have arrested the daughter of the founder of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei at the request of US law enforcement.

 

Meng Wanzhou, who is Huawei's chief financial officer and deputy chair, was arrested in Vancouver on 1 December, Canada's Department of Justice said.

 

Ms Meng is being sought for extradition by the US, the department added.

 

Huawei said it had little information about the charges and was "not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng".

 

Ms Meng, daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was detained while transferring between flights, the firm said.

 

She will face a bail hearing on Friday, a spokesman for Canada's Department of Justice said.

 

He declined to say more about the case, citing a publication ban requested by Ms Meng and ordered by the courts...

[jthompson]

Doesn't GCHQ have a maximum security facility somewhere that tears all of this telecoms equipment down to do forensic vetting, with an agreement that they can inspect manufacturers' source code?

[AlanD]

Doesn't GCHQ have a maximum security facility somewhere that tears all of this telecoms equipment down to do forensic vetting, with an agreement that they can inspect manufacturers' source code?

 

Hmmm... my guess is that nothing like this happens...even MOD stuff is probably riddled with code that has the potential (and that is where the weakness lies) in compromising the operation of devices.

 

I can't see any firm being too happy about allowing anyone to inspect their source code - as its likely to contain material of a business sensitive nature...and nearly all stuff (including Windows) now includes telemetry which in theory allows them to detect errors but of course could be misused.

 

And while it might seem on the surface safer not to allow a foreign company to supply critical stuff - there is nothing to say that home grown and developed stuff is not equally compromised.

[jmak]

The only major British telecoms exchange equipment manufacturer - Marconi Corporation - went bust more or less overnight when BT announced they were going to roll out BroadBand using Huawei kit. The remains were sold to Ericsson - who it would appear were behind today's problems at O2....

 

Of course Marconi were closely linked with the British security services, so as others have said the issue isn't whether there are built in security compromises, just who has access to them...

[Katy]

So we don't trust the Chinese to make tech that we use, but we want them running (well paying for) all the new Nuclear? Mad. (Is that even still happening? Not heard anything about it for a while)

[tg12]

Am I right in thinking that the BT Infinity FTTC network uses Huawei equipment? I’m sure I remember a lot of controversy about that? Funny that BT are quick to blame EE for choosing them for the 4G network but suspiciously little mention of that.

[jthompson]

I wasn't quite right, but there is such a thing: the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Center (HCSEC). Set up by Huawei themselves to allow Britain to do detailed evaluation of their kit, including access to Huawei's source code. GCHQ have a hand in it, too.

 

I guess in spite of that, BT weren't happy.

[PotNoodleTech]

Lol they don't trust china, so remove the Hyawei equipment and then replace it with some other manufacturer.......... that's still made in Chine, like Cisco :S

[DJ-1701]

Lol they don't trust china, so remove the Hyawei equipment and then replace it with some other manufacturer.......... that's still made in Chine, like Cisco :S

 

My understanding is there is serious concern about the close ties Huawei has with the Chinese Government though. Not just that they are a manufacture in China, which I agree, would be very hard to get away from.

[synaesthesia]

I'm getting a little antsy about it, our phone system from BT uses Huawahey antenna. All vlanned off but still, adding ACL's to the ports they're connected to just to be absolutely, absolutely sure!

[Andrew_C]

I've just bought four of their tablets; just before this all blew up. OK, not national security level, but still...

[jthompson]

Is there something about the nature of 5G networks that makes this a particular concern for the West, I wonder? It's an open secret that China have for years been stealing technology from companies like Cisco to bring about their dominance over the world's network hardware, but does 5G represent a whole new problem? Does 5G involve doing a lot more 'in software' in cell towers, etc. with less centralised control? (I don't know how 5G, 4G and 3G compare, tbh).

[6Foot2]

Link: Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson sacked over Huawei leak [bBC News]

 

Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary following an inquiry into a leak from a top-level National Security Council meeting.

 

Downing Street said the PM had "lost confidence in his ability to serve" and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role.

 

The inquiry followed reports over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build the UK's new 5G network.

 

Mr Williamson, who has been defence secretary since 2017, continues to deny leaking the information.

 

In a meeting with Mr Williamson on Wednesday evening, Theresa May told him she had information that provided "compelling evidence" that he was responsible for the unauthorised disclosure.

 

In a letter confirming his dismissal, she said: "No other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified."

 

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Mr Williamson was "sticking to his story that it was nothing to do with him".

 

She said the leak from the security council was "unusual" and "clearly she (the PM) felt that she had to take action in this case"...

 

[My emphasis] Not wanting to seem like I am supporting Gavin Williamson, but Theresa May saying that she had "...lost confidence in his ability to serve..." is a bit much really, given her performance in government! Time for her to go too!

[Andrew_C]

Gavin Williamson - the man who called Corbyn a security risk...

[Arthur]

I wasn't quite right, but there is such a thing: the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Center (HCSEC). Set up by Huawei themselves to allow Britain to do detailed evaluation of their kit, including access to Huawei's source code. GCHQ have a hand in it, too.

I wouldn't describe it as maximum security though...

 

Q. What's a good thing to put outside a building of spies? A: A banner saying 'here we are!'

 

The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) has a giant banner hanging outside declaring its purpose to the world.

 

The hush-hush blueprint inspection facility is part-staffed by GCHQ spies, and probes the Chinese giant's networking products for vulnerabilities and any backdoors. Its location is only ever given as "Banbury, Oxfordshire" in England.

 

But HCSEC HQ, which would otherwise have fitted The Guardian's description of it as "deceptively humdrum", has a great big banner draped over its main entrance of the sort you'd find hanging outside a pub.

 

Spotted by the eagle-eyed Alan Turnbull of secret-bases.co.uk, the banner reads, simply: "Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre". Ever the helpful chap, Alan also found it on (where else?) Google Street View.

 

If you want to view it yourself and have a virtual drive around the Banbury Office Village, just click here.

[Arthur]

My understanding is there is serious concern about the close ties Huawei has with the Chinese Government though. Not just that they are a manufacture in China, which I agree, would be very hard to get away from.

There is an easy solution... 😉

 

https://twitter.com/itsRajivShah/status/1124440467687510017

 

I think the backdoor issue's been solved 🤔

 

[mavhc]

Why would you let non open source software run on your network devices? Make the software open, then it would be hard to hide any backdoors, like are found every other week on Cisco devices