News / Commentary

COMMENTARY: Doug Lute — NATO Needs Strong U.S. Leadership

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On December 2nd, NPR’s David Greene spoke with Global Cyber Policy Watch board member and form Ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, to glean his insights into the challenges that NATO is facing. This discussion comes after French President Emmanuel Macron called the alliance “brain-dead,” a claim that has received criticism from world leaders, including Germany’s Angela Merkel and – more recently – Turkish President Erdogan.

Ambassador Lute pointed to unreliable White House leadership as the greatest disruption to NATO’s objectives, which has undermined the alliance’s mission by questioning its value.

The 29 NATO member countries will convene at the 2019

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COMMENTARY: Nate Snyder — Huawei Is Looking For “Any Way” To Expand Its Tech Footprint

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Nate Snyder, a senior advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors and former expert on counterintelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the U.S.’s forthcoming ban on Huawei technology in a recent interview with CapitalWatch. Snyder expressed his skepticism with the Chinese telecommunications company’s lofty financial projections despite its inability to supply to the U.S: “In anticipation of the U.S. ban, perhaps they’re not telling the full story. They want to be able to show to end-users, customers and investors that their business is not being impacted.”

In addition to addressing discussions surrounding the potential for easing restrictions on Huawei, … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: 5G — Investing in a Smarter Alternative

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This article, by Chris Cummiskey, originally appeared in Nextgov on October 25, 2019. 

The evolving cyber threat that the United States is facing—as a result of the global race to 5G—should be at the front of our minds. It’s easy to get excited about 5G and all of its promises: less latency, faster transmission speeds, and a greater ability to handle the billions of devices relying on the network. Not to mention, the possibility for self-driving cars and augmented virtual reality experiences has never been more real. However, our infrastructure is now exposed to a whole new realm of exploitation … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Strategic Infiltration and China’s 5G Threat

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This piece, by Douglas Lute, originally appeared in Homeland Security Today on October 21, 2019. 

 

The advent of fifth-generation digital communications – 5G – is a topic of hot debate across the world. 5G promises game-changing advances for states, industry, and individual citizens, but also introduces greater risk of security challenges. The excitement around the anticipated 5G network improvements can distract from an important, more strategic consideration.

European Union member states recently released a coordinated report in which they assess the security vulnerabilities associated with 5G, and their findings shouldn’t be ignored. Organizations and nation-states should avoid relying on … Read More

COMMENTARY: Former DHS Officials React to EU 5G Risk Assessment Released Yesterday

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Yesterday, the 28 EU member states published a highly-anticipated comprehensive risk assessment exploring the security risks associated with 5G networks. The report highlights the security challenges connected to suppliers’ role in developing 5G networks and the vulnerabilities stemming from reliance on individual, state-backed suppliers. U.S. officials have been stressing the importance of a coordinated approach to 5G security measures, and the EU has demonstrated through this assessment that it is taking a step in the right direction.

Governor Tom Ridge, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and 43rd governor of Pennsylvania, and Nate Snyder, senior counterterrorism official with the U.S. … Read More

COMMENTARY: Chris Cummiskey and Nate Snyder — Cooperation And Standards Setting Is Key To Secure 5G Technology

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On September 29, Government Matters hosted former DHS officials and GCPW advisory board members, Chris Cummiskey and Nate Snyder, to talk about the global 5G network and the implications of Huawei’s involvement. 

Former Under Secretary for Management at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cummiskey explained the advantage that China currently has over the U.S. in terms of developing this new technology and marketing its low-cost, proprietary software around the world in an effort to dominate the 5G landscape. He urged private and public sector stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that we safeguard the supply  chain from foreign actors who … Read More

COMMENTARY: GCPW Advisory Board Members Warn Against Huawei

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On September 24, 2019, Global Cyber Policy Watch hosted a teleconference connecting three former Department of Homeland Security officials – Governor Tom Ridge, Chris Cummiskey, and Nate Snyder – with the press. Federal Computer Week summarized the key takeaways, noting their warnings: “Huawei’s grip on 5G gear poses a threat to telecommunications infrastructure.”

The goal of the event was to inform the media about the challenges associated with 5G and how security and cooperation play a role in the global 5G rollout. The connection between Huawei and the Chinese state, the need for standardization efforts, and the evolving threat landscape … Read More

Huawei’s Record of Wrongdoing: Top 10 Offenses That Should Cause Pause

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As discussions around 5G networks and cybersecurity vulnerabilities evolve, Huawei has remained a central target of critique. Current concerns surrounding Huawei are borne out of a number of recognized offenses committed by the Chinese 5G leader. Not only does China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which requires private organizations and citizens to cooperate with the state’s intelligence efforts, raise a red flag, but Huawei’s past business practices have cause for alarm. In several instances around the world, Huawei has been investigated for fraud and corruption.

Huawei leadership has demonstrated a willingness to engage in sketchy behavior to advance its low-cost technology, … Read More

5G Interoperability 101: How the Adoption of Open, Interoperable Standards of 5G Can Protect Nations from Foreign Adversaries

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As nations throughout the world deploy the next generation of wireless technology, 5G, they must assess and prepare for attacks on this critical communications infrastructure. China’s global expansion into the telecommunications market via companies like Huawei, a technology giant with connections to the People’s Republic of China, poses a credible cyber-threat to these networks and to the overall safety of a nation. The European Commission recognizes these concerns and is currently conducting an EU-wide risk assessment, analyzing the threats that Huawei and other Chinese technology companies present.

Mitigating the Risk:

Huawei, ZTE, and other Chinese companies are subject to a

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PERSPECTIVE: 5G – A Symbol of Competition to Come

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This piece, by Douglas Lute, originally appeared in The Brussels Times on September 23, 2019. 

The advent of next-generation digital communications, 5G, is a topic of hot debate in Europe today, but the excitement is clouding the big picture.

Ties to Chinese government 

European Union member states recently submitted assessments of the security risks incurred with the introduction of 5G and the newly appointed Commission leadership will take these into account as they shape a European policy and risk mitigation strategy due out at the end of this year. The main concern is that the world’s leading provider of 5G … Read More