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Re: [LUG] BT removing spying eqpt

 


On 06/12/2018 09:28, Eion MacDonald wrote:
On 06/12/2018 09:24, Giles Coochey wrote:
On 06/12/2018 07:26, Tom via list wrote:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/05/bt-removing-huawei-equipment-from-parts-of-4g-network


Tom te tom te tom


I think the concern is not so much that the equipment is actively
spying, but that if tensions were to increase between China and 'The
West' that Huawei could cease to support and provide security patches
for the equipment installed. If Huawei could prove that it isn't a
Chinese State Actor, with say significant domestic R&D & Support within
the UK then this wouldn't be so much of a problem. I think this is more
pressure from the likes of the NSA on the 5-eyes data surveillance
alliance, guided by the Trump administration to put the pliers on the
Chinese government due to the ongoing trade disputes.

Concur. It is the 'future possibility' that drives "please do not use
Huawei" problem for security folk.
Another issue would be that the actual configuration of the core network devices will almost certainly be classified, and I would expect that it would be classified to the highest level, as these devices *will* have intercept configurations to ensure that traffic is copied and recorded for metadata analysis and future decryption (if they can't decrypt it now, then it is likely they will be able to eventually decrypt it in the future). The point being that getting support from China without detailing what the device has been configured to do is nigh on impossible. Whereas, with, say a Cisco manufactured device, I'm sure they have a whole department who deal with NSA allies support issues.

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