Do you remember the story from the Times in 2009 titled Spy chiefs fear Chinese cyber attack?[UK] Intelligence chiefs have warned that China may have gained the capability to shut down Britain by crippling its telecoms and utilities.
They have told ministers of their fears that equipment installed by Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant, in BT’s new communications network could be used to halt critical services such as power, food and water supplies.
The warnings coincide with growing cyberwarfare attacks on Britain by foreign governments, particularly Russia and China...
The company [Huawei] is providing key components for BT’s new £10 billion network, which will update the UK’s telecoms with the use of internet technology. The report says the potential threat from Huawei “has been demonstrated elsewhere in the world”...
T]he ministerial committee on national security was told at the January [2009] meeting that Huawei components that form key parts of BT’s new network might already contain malicious elements waiting to be activated by China.
Working through Huawei, China was already equipped to make “covert modifications” or to “compromise equipment in ways that are very hard to detect” and that might later “remotely disrupt or even permanently disable the network”, the meeting was told...
Ok, old news. But what did I just read in Huawei's US Sales Push Raises Security Concerns from September 2010?
Should United States telecommunications companies consider purchasing -- or even be allowed to purchase -- infrastructure equipment from a major Chinese company that could, maybe, be a significant national security risk?
Some US government officials and security experts are concerned about products from Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. , which has begun more actively courting US customers...
Another security expert concerned about foreign tampering is Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer at BT and a well known blogger about security. Although he doesn't have any proof, Schneier says it "certainly wouldn't surprise me at all" if Huawei installed software that could endanger US security. He would "think twice" before buying equipment from Huawei.
Wow. Did Bruce tell his bosses at BT this? I mean, he has been Chief Security Technology Officer at BT since BT acquired Counterpane in late 2006. (The BT-Huawei deal predates that acquisition by a few years, so Bruce didn't have input back then.) I guess it's possible Bruce really is a closet cyber warrior...
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