Huawei Opens Cyber Security Evaluation Centre in the UK

Basingstoke, UK, 6 December, 2010: Huawei, a leader in providing next-generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, today announced the establishment of its „Cyber Security Evaluation Centre‟ in Banbury, UK. The opening ceremony held on November 24 was attended by 30 industry representatives from companies such as BT, Everything Everywhere, HMG, O2 and Vodafone. John Suffolk, UK Government CIO & Senior Information Risk Owner opened the centre together with Ken Hu, Senior Vice President of Huawei and Chairman of Huawei's Global Network Security Committee. Huawei's end-to-end equipment, both hardware and software solutions, will be tested in the centre to ensure its ability to withstand growing cyber security threats.

Cyber security is a critically important issue facing the telecommunications industry today. With the rise of IP-based telecoms networks, increased business integration and the proliferation of smart devices, telecoms networks are becoming increasingly open, integrated, and vulnerable to security threats. Huawei as a company is focused on enhancing the reliability and security of telecoms networks, and is working to build and implement a state-of-the-art, end-to-end cyber security assurance system that will further protect equipment and network operations, based on industry best practices and international standards.

“One of CESG‟s (Communications-Electronics Security Group) roles is to work with selected telecoms vendors, like Huawei, operating within the UK market,” said a spokesperson from CESG. “No system is completely invulnerable and the globalisation of the telecoms industry means it faces a growing range of cyber security threats. CESG will work with Huawei to ensure their products meet UK government security standards. This security centre will not work in isolation. Robust operational management and network architectures will also contribute to enabling the UK to benefit from new technology whilst tackling the cyber security risks.”

“The new Cyber Security Evaluation Centre is a key part of Huawei‟s end-to-end global security assurance system. This centre is like a glasshouse: transparent, readily accessible, and open to regulators and our customers,” said John Frieslaar, Managing Director, Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre. “The establishment of this Centre demonstrates our commitment to building mutual trust in the area of cyber security and to continuously delivering high-quality and reliable communications networks to our customers in the UK.”

“Huawei has significant experience and a solid track record with regard to cyber security and we are eager to work in an open and transparent manner with governments and organizations to address security challenges,” said Ken Hu. “We are truly grateful to the UK government for being open-minded, practical and far-sighted. The practice of the UK government will not only play a positive role in facilitating the continuous development of the UK telecom industry, but will also become a benchmark in the area of cyber security worldwide.”