I bet the fibre connection to the not-Huawei 5G towers is going to be Huawei anyway.
The issue with 5G is that there is a lot more software involved e.g. software defined networking, network function virtualization, edge computing, containerisation etc.
This makes securing the platform much more complex as you have to constantly validate that each piece of software is not able to access your core network or siphon user traffic.
Optical networks like you listed are pretty dumb so aren't nearly as much of a threat.
Whereas a lot of wireless components are more tightly coupled to each other.
Which is why many service providers are talking about Open RAN.
They can be tapped into still, of course. Doesn't GCHQ copy all the data coming through their fibre lines and run it through computers for analysis?
Slightly different threat model.
I’m missing something right?
Do you mean like they could disable the equipment and deny service?
It's implementing the security and 'ownership' of the data along the infrastructure thats at risk. And Huwawei don't have a good track record.
When Huawei was chosen for those fixed line projects it was providing relatively ‘dumb’ pieces of kit (switches etc.), with controller software that could be looked at and ringfenced.
The 5G stack has been implemented using much more virtualisation, and the vendors are providing much more general capability which makes it a lot harder to risk assess and probe for weaknesses etc.
Regardless, even if it was, it is still a huge potential problem. Imagine Huawei had some backdoor code that looked for a certain pattern of data across any of the network interfaces and corrupted the firmware so it wouldn't load without being physically replaced. China then buys a load of ads and as users browse the web, they load the image with the secret string in, triggering it (one example).
Within a couple of hours enough users have seen it that the vast majority of western infrastructure is down, and needs replaced (and I would assume in this case, China wouldn't be willing to sell more!).
I think this sort of attack would likely take down most 5G anyway - as it's incredibly likely that the backhaul has some sort of Huawei fibre product in it somewhere along the line.
By compromising a large network provider they have the ability to access data from enterprise and government customers. Which as we saw when the US did it is very beneficial for trade negotiations etc.
Even NSA said their snooping on network infrastrucure was becoming useless with the leaked info on their monitoring, which was years ago.
I really don't see the value these days of being able to intercept traffic like this. You will obviously find bits and bobs that isn't encrypted but it's not like 20 years ago where you could get everything in a few days.
China's strategic plan is spy and collect, not destroy. Traditional espionage stuff that every country does.
I keep thinking that if, hypothetically, i would be in charge of a developing economy, I would not recognise foreign copyright and patents untill the country can catch up, at least on medicine and software. Especially the idea that breaking copyright is a crime and not a civil offence is an absurdity
You're not wrong.
With all the competition on fibre equipments I really doubt.
It’s also absurd that EU would even consider using Huawei in the first place given their desire to achieve technological sovereignty.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jan/27/nsa-hacked-...