HUAWEI FACING MORE SCRUTINY IN BRITAIN
Tech firm in spotlight over use of US firm's software
HUAWEI Technologies is facing increased scrutiny in Britain because it is using an ageing software component sold by a firm based in the United States, one of the countries where lawmakers allege its equipment could facilitate Chinese spying, said sources.
The fact that the British misgivings stem in part from Huawei’s relationship with a US company shows how trade wars and heightened national security concerns are making it harder for technology firms and governments to safeguard products and communication networks.
A report last month by a British government oversight board charged with analysing Huawei equipment said it found technical and supply chain “shortcomings”, which exposed the country’s telecoms networks to new security risks.
One of those is due to Huawei’s use of the VxWorks operating system, which is made by California-based Wind River Systems, sources said.
They said the version of VxWorks being used by Huawei would stop receiving security patches and updates from Wind River in 2020, even though some of the products it was embedded in would still be in service, potentially leaving British telecoms networks vulnerable to attack.
“Third party software, including security critical components, on component boards will come out of long-term support in 2020, even though the Huawei end of life date for the products containing this component is often longer,” the report said.
US and Australian lawmakers have said Huawei’s products could be used to facilitate Chinese espionage operations, an allegation the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment had repeatedly denied.
A Huawei spokesman said it would address areas raised by British authorities for improvement.