All You Need is a Face in China

From our Asia Desk - China has just opened a new airport near Beijing equipped with facial-recognition systems that let a passenger check-in, clear security, and board an aircraft using only their face for identification.  The 5G backbone for this airport system has been built by Huawei Technologies, while the facial-recognition software has been developed by the Chinese companies SenseTime and Yitu Technologies

To read the full article in our portal, and find an archive of related reporting, follow this link to - https://redskyalliance.org/finished-analysis/chinese-progress-in-facial-recognition-and-surveillance  

Proven Connections Between Huawei & the Chinese State, Military, and Intelligence Gathering Services

The recent leakage of millions of resumes from Chinese job sites has provided the opportunity to research, among other things, the work histories and expertise of thousands of Huawei Technologies employees.  Christopher Balding of Fulbright University Vietnam has conducted such a search to determine if Huawei has links to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) or the Ministry of State Security (MSS).  He recently published his conclusion that “there is an undeniable relationship between Huawei and the Chinese state, military, and intelligence gathering services.”

To read the full article in our portal, and find an archive of related reporting, follow this link to - https://redskyalliance.org/

Chinese Cameras Get the Hook!

US officials allege Chinese technology manufacturers are producing equipment that allegedly permits China to spy on users. US universities are replacing telecom equipment made by Huawei and other Chinese companies to avoid losing federal funding under the NDAA.  

To read the full article and find an archive of related reporting, follow this link to READBOARD.

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Huawei Arrest: Chinese Government and Media Spin

Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei

Industries arrested.

Huawei has worked hard against the Western narrative that it is somehow an agent of the Chinese government or its intelligence services.  In this instance, the Chinese government has lept to its defense.  However, the seriousness of the Chinese government response to Meng’s arrest appears to reflect their defense of Huawei as a premier Chinese industry rather than as a government entity. 

To read the full article and find an archive of related reporting, follow this link to READBOARD.

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Huawei and ZTE Phones and Other Devices – Security Up for Sale

TLP AMBER ANNOUNCEMENT: 

Huawei, a long time Chinese telecommunications equipment competitor to the U.S. Cisco Systems, has earned a reputation for selling equipment that contains various cybersecurity, intellectual property, and quality control issues. Wapack Labs concurs with U.S. government agencies that Huawei and ZTE equipment are a cause for concern when considering supply chain equipment. Huawei and ZTE have higher than normal rates of cybersecurity issues due to a range of root causes. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and South Korea began instituting measures to limit Huawei, and ZTE equipment from being used relative to government and military related communications as far back as 2003. The warnings were issued via reports to the U.S. Congress from the Intelligence Community, with ZTE officially banned for use by U.S. government agencies in 2013. They further started instituting that government contractors and vendors also comply with contracting restrictions against vendor and contractor utilization of Huawei and ZTE equipment for security reasons even before the national security issues were made openly public in 2011...READ MORE

Wapack Labs has cataloged and reported on Huawei and telecommunications in the past. An archive of related reporting can be found in the Red Sky Alliance portal.

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This TLP AMBER report is available only to Red Sky Alliance members.

Huawei in Africa: Burkina Faso, Perceptions & Perspectives

Huawei continues to rapidly expand in Africa with fiber optic placement and cyber product distribution. Huawei’s products sold in Africa have a direct link back to mainland China; as with their cell phone app: WeChat. Huawei’s marketing tactics to governments have raised ethical questions and charges of undue influence.

• Huawei has been operating in Africa for 17 years.
• Huawei began selling low quality cell phones in Africa, but has expanded and upgraded product sales and its fiber optic network wires much of cyber monopoly in Africa.
• Parliament officials in Burkina Faso have openly accepted free Huawei tablets in a clear conflict of interest situation.

Huawei will continue to grow in Africa so long as it delivers quality products and services at low costs to consumer and governmental markets. Its efforts may be undermined by practices such as the tablet incident in Burkina Faso, reinforcing the idea that it is using its economic strength to buy political power. African public opinion and trust, even among African consumers anxious to get their hands on the latest smartphone, are hard to rebuild once they have been compromised. This information is being supplied for your situational awareness.

Publication Date: 11 December 2016
Handling Requirements: Traffic light protocol (TLP) GREEN
Attribution/Threat Actors: Huawei/Chinese government and military influence
Actor Type: Adversary capabilities have been assessed as Tier III
Potential Targets: African markets and government
Past Reporting: DOC-4455, DOC-2183, Msgs #9367 & #5060

Huawei: Monopoly in Africa

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has a very strong telecommunications foothold in Africa. Many security experts believe that Huawei has been and continues to be associated with the Chinese government information sharing program. Their strong presence in Africa in numerous aspects of cyber technology, is close to becoming a monopoly in Africa. This corner of the market sets the stage for ambiguous domination of cyber technology within the African continent. This information is being supplied for your situational awareness.

• Huawei Ltd. began their African operations in 1999.

• In 17 years, Huawei has expanded exponentially with major footholds in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, North African and Western Africa.

• Huawei has long been suspected as a corporation in collusion with the government of China and continues to create cyber security suspicion. 

Huawei was suspected by South Sudan of surveillance and forgery in 2014. This was an alleged effort to gain market intelligence and delay of a funding timeline for a rival telecom infrastructure project. There has not been current reporting on these accusations, yet it illustrates the savvy nature of Huawei in creating a near African monopoly on cyber systems, IT infrastructure, cyber products and associated training. Mr. Vincent (Bo) Pang, President of Huawei’s Western European Region, in response to the South Sudan claim, stated that Huawei is trusted across Africa because it is, “in the region for the long haul.” This never a truer statement.

Wapack Labs, Africa Desk will continue to monitor Huawei and their African development.

Publication Date: 27 November 2016

Handling Requirements: Traffic light protocol (TLP) GREEN

Attribution/Threat Actors: Chinese APT

Actor Type: Adversary capabilities have been assessed as Tier IV

Potential Targets: Vodafone, French Thales, Orange & numerous African telecoms

Past Reporting: DOC-4455/4249/2902, Msg-8558