30 Nations Pitch Internet Security Rules Amid Huawei Concern

Cybersecurity officials from many countries on Friday proposed a couple of principles to make sure the safety of next generation mobile networks amid concerns over the use of gear made by China's Huawei.

The non-binding proposals were circulated at the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Prague to talk about the security of new 5G networks.

The U.S. has been lobbying allies to banish Huawei from 5G networks over concerns China's government could force the company to give it access to data for cyberespionage. Huawei, the world's largest maker of telecom infrastructure equipment, has rejected the allegations.

The suggestions echoed security concerns, with some wording that also appeared to be aimed at raising the bar for Chinese suppliers. The document said "security and risk assessment of vendors and network technologies" should be taken into consideration, as well as "the overall risk of influence on a supplier by a third country," especially its "model of governance."

"Security and risk assessments of vendors and network technologies should take into account rule of law," it said.

U.S. officials have advised their allies take into consideration the laws and legal system of a country where a 5G supplier is based, proclaiming that China's lack of independent judiciary means companies have no legal options if they don't want to comply with Beijing's orders.

The European Commission has also approved that EU countries factor in the legal systems of the countries where 5G suppliers are headquartered.

At the meeting in Prague, the cybersecurity officials came mostly from countries that are strategic allies, such as European Union member states, the United States and its Asia-Pacific allies including Australia, Japan and South Korea and Singapore. NATO and European Union authorities also participated but China and Russia were not present.

Europe is currently an important battlefield in the war over whether to exclude Huawei, with countries gearing up to utilize the new networks, beginning with the auction of radio frequencies this year.

This article is originally posted on manufacturing.net

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cybersecurity cyber safety