Senators expressed concerns that Huawei’s plan to offer 5G network equipment to U.S. allies could put international government and military communications at risk of disruptions, Fifth Domain reported Tuesday. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said during a recent hearing that allowing the China-backed company to provide and manage the technology internationally may affect global communications, intelligence sharing and military operations.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., cited China can easily influence Huawei once it secured a lead role to manage 5G networks in other countries. Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, backed the claim saying if Huawei controls the network, “They control whether or not we communicate.†He added the company could use a “bug door†to shut down any military mission overseas that rely on the company’s network.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said aircraft carriers may become “sitting ducks†if communication systems are vulnerable. There is “strong bipartisan alarm about the threat by posed by Huawei, which is really a threat posed by China,†he said. “We are literally putting our national security at risk and ultimately it’s theirs [our allies] as well.â€
