U.S. reportedly asks allies to nix Huawei

The U.S. government reportedly has asked its allies to not use equipment from the Chinese firm Huawei Technologies.

The intelligence community has grown increasingly concerned over the security of Huawei products, prompting the government to ask ISPs and telecom companies in other countries, particularly those where the U.S. has military bases, to spurn them, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

“We engage with countries around the world about our concerns regarding cyberthreats in telecommunications infrastructure,” the Journal cited a U.S. official as saying. “As they’re looking to move to 5G, we remind them of those concerns. There are additional complexities to 5G networks that make them more vulnerable to cyberattacks.”

The U.S. intelligence community and some members of Congress have long feared that products from Huawei and Chinese firm ZTE Corporation could be leveraged by the Chinese government to spy on American targets.

Previously, the Defense Department instructed its procurers and contractors to stop buying software that may have Chinese or Russian connections to help defend these institutions against a possible cyberattack.

The Do Not Buy list covers software that does not meet national security standards. Firms are placed on the Do Not Buy list after being checked out by U.S. intelligence agencies and found to have some type of connection to Russia or China.