Cabinet secretariat fears security threat from foreign telecom gear

The cabinet secretariat has expressed concern over induction of large scale foreign telecom equipment, especially of Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei, in private and government networks, without testing. Manoj Gairola reports.

The cabinet secretariat has expressed concern over induction of large scale foreign telecom equipment, especially of Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei, in private and government networks, without testing.

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The secretariat has asked the department of telecommunications to make provision for identifying spyware, malware and bugging software in the equipment.

Recently, security agencies accused Chinese firms of posing a threat to India’s national security.

The government is in the process of setting up a testing lab at IISc in Bangalore.

The cabinet note is important in view of a report, in October, titled “Investigative report on the US national security issues posed by Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE” by the permanent select committee on Intelligence of the US house of representatives.

The report warned equipment made by the Chinese telecom majors posed security risk as it could be used to eavesdrop on the nation’s telecoms networks.

It has also said both companies had officials of the Communist Party on their boards of management.