Spy chief ’s new warning over Chinese tech firms
THE head of GCHQ is to warn that allowing Chinese tech firms involvement in Britain’s 5G telecoms network will pose a threat to national security.
In a rare public speech, Jeremy Fleming will say Chinese companies represent ‘a hugely complex technological challenge’ to the British telecoms sector.
He will also underline the importance of Britain possessing the offensive capability to ‘deny, disrupt or degrade’ in response to cyber attacks.
Mr Fleming’s comments will add to growing concerns over Chinese tech giant Huawei’s involvement in UK telecoms. Last year Alex Younger, head of MI6, expressed similar worries about the security threat posed by the firm.
In his address to government, military and industry figures from across southeast Asia, Mr Fleming will say no decisions have been taken on 5G – with a Government review due to report in spring.
However, he will say it is essential to understand the potential risks of allowing Chinese firms to get involved.
Super-fast 5G – ‘fifth-generation’ – mobile internet promises download speeds ten to 20 times faster than we have now. A high- definition film could be downloaded in less than a minute.
It is hoped the technology will help create ‘smart cities’ in which driverless cars, traffic lights and other infrastructure can communicate.
Mr Fleming, who has headed the intelligence agency since 2017, will say: ‘ We have to understand the opportunities and threats from China’s technological offer… understand the global nature of supply chains and service provision irrespective of the flag of the supplier… take a clear view on the implications of China’s technological acquisition strategy in the West.
‘And help our governments decide which parts of this expansion can be embraced, which need risk management, and which will always need a sovereign, or allied, solution.
‘Vulnerabilities will be exploited’
It’s a hugely complex strategic challenge which will span the next few decades... probably our whole professional lives.
‘How we deal with it will be crucial for prosperity and security way beyond 5G contracts.’
The GCHQ boss will also stress the need for stronger cyber security provisions across the telecoms sector.
He will warn: ‘Vulnerabilities can and will be exploited. But networks should be designed in a way that cauterises the damage.’ Around half of the 1,100 incidents handled by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) over the last two years involved state actors.
Mr Fleming will also argue for an internationally agreed code of ethics and standards for operating in cyber space.
He will say: ‘Some of the behaviour we’ve seen from certain states or criminals is clearly wrong. An attack on a hospital’s IT, or on a country’s electoral system will always require sanction.
‘Unchecked, we’re heading for an even less governed space where rights and wrongs are not automatically recognised and where acceptable behaviours are not a given.’ Mr Fleming will state the UK needs to ensure programmes such as the NCSC’s Active Cyber Defence programme are implemented at a scale that makes ‘a truly, nationally, and potentially internationally, transformative difference’.
He will add: ‘In the right context, governed by appropriate international and domestic laws, offensive cyber is an essential part of a nation’s cyber tool kit.’
Mr Fleming will conclude that global co- operation is most integral to maintaining national security. He will say: ‘Our future security will be guaranteed not by the quality of our coding, the design of our silicon, or the cunning of our cyber operators – but by the bonds that tie us together and the relationships that give us confidence to act decisively.’