Huawei Exec: It Could Take 10 Years To Satisfy US Security
Is information technology provider Huawei being held to a "higher bar" for cybersecurity than other companies? An executive from the China-based company thinks so, as Huawei released on Friday a new white paper on its cybersecurity policies and its recommendations for global standards.
In an interview with Bloomberg news service, Huawei global cybersecurity officer John Suffolk acknowledged that the U.S. has "genuine concerns, and it's Huawei's responsibility to satisfy those genuine concerns." Suffolk, the former CIO of the government of the United Kingdom, said that obtaining the necessary clearance to fully participate in the U.S. market could take a decade.
Huawei is attempting to gain access to U.S. and Australian markets. Last year, a U.S. congressional committee said that the company, as well as compatriot company ZTE Corp., could provide opportunities for China's spy agencies to utilize American telecommunications networks for intelligence gathering. In 2011, Huawei was banned from participating in efforts to build a U.S.-wide emergency communications network in the U.S., and, similarly, Australia has barred the company from bidding on a major broadband network in that country.
