News / Commentary

PERSPECTIVE: 5G Networks Are No Place for Huawei

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This piece, by Peter Varnish, originally appeared in Homeland Security Today on August 27, 2019.

“We’re not going to do business with Huawei,” President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House this month. “That doesn’t mean we won’t agree to something if and when we make a trade deal.” But should Chinese telecom giant Huawei be used as a bargaining chip?

China’s cyber espionage capabilities are notorious. Just last week, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal turned up evidence of Huawei intercepting encrypted communications to help African governments spy on political opponents.

All over the world, the Communist … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Democratic Candidates Must Address Cyber Threats

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This article, by Nate Snyder, originally appeared in RealClearPolicy on August 12, 2019

As we’ve seen from the debates so far, the Democratic presidential candidates seem focused on relitigating opponents’ past records and the 2016 election. They’re missing an opportunity to discuss major national security concerns that affect every day Americans. Cybersecurity threats, from election interference by Russia to 5G dominance by China, are top concerns for our national security.

The U.S. faces continued security threats. Given the ongoing trade discussions with China, the Democratic candidates must make plans for how bilateral relationships can improve, while mitigating the security threats … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Homeland Security Makes the Right Moves to Bolster Our Cybersecurity

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This article, by Gen. Frank Taylor, originally appeared in The Hill on August 2, 2019

If there’s one thing that was learned from the 2016 presidential election, it’s that protecting our country’s election infrastructure cannot be a passive decision. There’s a need to be proactively assessing our environment to ensure that we are implementing the cybersecurity features that fortify our systems and, ultimately, our democracy. This is where the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) comes into play.

CISA, dubbed “the nation’s risk advisor,” was officially inaugurated in 2018 as a standalone component within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security … Read More

COMMENTARY: Nate Snyder — Diversification Is Key To Fighting Huawei Dominance

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Android Headlines recently quoted security expert Nate Snyder of Cambridge Global Advisors, that interoperability is the key to preventing Huawei dominance in the market. 

The only solution to pushing back against Huawei and the PRC plan to vertically integrate and monopolize the 5G market is for the US and allies, such as the Five Eyes, to pursue a strategy that embraces setting standards for diversification and interoperability across the supply chain.

This will thwart Huawei’s current scheme to lock customers into its technology and avoid a future where Huawei becomes a sole global supplier for wireless network technology. Interoperability makes … Read More

COMMENTARY: Doug Lute — NATO Unity Key to Countering China

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In a wide-ranging conversation, Ambassador Douglas Lute sat down with Aaron Harber to discuss what he sees as the greatest current and future security risks to the US. A retired US ambassador to NATO, Lute was quick to express his unease over the organization’s current direction, the lack of leadership from the US in stabilizing inter-alliance relationships, and the ever-present threats posed by China and Russia. Addressing the current direction of NATO, Lute warned that a strong US commitment is at the core of NATO’s mission, and the success of that mission depends on members working cohesively to create an … Read More

COMMENTARY: Nate Snyder — Technology Companies Press Trump as Huawei Deadline Nears

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Earlier this week, President Trump hosted tech companies at the White House to discuss trade relationships with China, specifically relating to Huawei. However, national security concerns can’t be left behind as the Administration determines the next course of action for trade with China. 

“Nate Snyder, a senior adviser at Cambridge Global Advisors and a former Obama-appointed counterintelligence official, told The Hill that the companies faced a tough choice.

Snyder said national security concerns would be hard to ignore.

“I know the companies have profits in mind and they are looking at the short term on this,” Snyder said. “But from … Read More

COMMENTARY: Tom Ridge — Former Homeland Security Chief: Change in UK prime minister should lead to change in policy on Huawei

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In a recent interview by Yahoo Finance UK, Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge discusses the implications of Huawei in the UK’s 5G plan. Ridge warns of security concerns for the country itself and highlights how its decision could affect international relations. 

“Ridge continued that allowing Huawei into the UK “would alter information sharing, it would be more cumbersome. This change in government will hopefully bring about a change in policy.”

The US, as well as a number of other countries and agencies, have continually pointed out Huawei’s ties to the Chinese government as well as emphasising China’s National … Read More

COMMENTARY: Nate Snyder — “We need to be in control of our own destiny” when it comes to 5G

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Nate Snyder, a former counterterrorism official to the Department of Homeland Security and Senior Advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors, appeared on “The Hill TV” to assess the threats that accompany Huawei’s involvement in the emerging 5G rollout. President Trump’s executive order banning Huawei components in the US serves as a domestic “firewall,” however alignment around this policy from the remaining members of the Five Eyes alliance is needed to secure the flow of information among these nations. 

National security officials have voiced strong opposition to the use of Huawei components in 5G infrastructure, but lawmakers have given greater attention to … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: The Threat Huawei Poses

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This article, by Tom Ridge, originally appeared in Real Clear World on June 25, 2019.

U.S. allies are considering the risks for 5G security of using Huawei equipment. Earlier this month the British Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee held a hearing on the matter. It remains clear that the risks posed by Huawei are not limited to the insufficient technical expertise the company possesses, but more importantly it is the threat that Chinese technology companies pose to our national security, and the security of our allied nations.

Given what’s at stake with 5G, the concerns over Huawei as a potential … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Protecting Europe from China will strengthen the future of NATO

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This piece, by Douglas Lute, originally appeared in EurActiv on June 19, 2019. 

Competition with China is mostly economic, but NATO members need to pay attention. American and European interests align when it comes to the growing strategic competition between the Western alliance and China, writes Douglas Lute.

Douglas Lute was the U.S. ambassador to NATO from 2013 to 2017. He is a senior fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University, and president of Cambridge Global Advisors.

NATO, the world’s oldest and most successful alliance, recently turned 70 years old. As a report from Harvard’s Belfer Center explains, the … Read More