US says it has evidence that Huawei can spy on mobile networks
0Reported today on TechSpot
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US says it has evidence that Huawei can spy on mobile networks
But won't share it publicly
In context: The US has long insisted that Huawei has backdoor access to the mobile-phone networks it helps build around the world. Now, national security officials say they have evidence of this and provided details to the UK and Germany.
"We have evidence that Huawei has the capability secretly to access sensitive and personal information in systems it maintains and sells around the world," US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told the Wall Street Journal.
Back in May last year, President Trump, citing a threat to national security, added Huawei to an entity list that effectively banned US companies from doing business with the firm. But the spying claims have gone back years, with officials claiming they've been aware of Huawei's backdoor access "since observing it in 2009 in early 4G equipment."
The US has said it doesn't need to show proof that Huawei can access the networks, and it still isn't revealing the evidence, though it has been shared with other countries. "The US kept the intelligence highly classified until late last year, when American officials provided details to allies including the UK and Germany, according to officials from the three countries," writes the Journal.
It's noted that manufacturers who sell telecoms equipment to carriers must include backdoors for authorities to access the network for lawful purposes, but they "are also required to build equipment in such a way that the manufacturer can't get access without the consent of the network operator," the Journal wrote. Officials say Huawei's equipment allows the company to access these networks without the carrier's knowledge