ZTE is getting ready for security assessments of its 5G products and solutions in the vendor’s cybersecurity lab in Brussels, Belgium, ZTE’s Chief Security Officer Zhong Hong told RCR Wireless News.
The announcement coincides with a recent report published by the European Commission (EC), in which it outlines a number of risks associated with the deployment of 5G network infrastructure.
The report identifies the main threats and threat actors, the most sensitive assets, the main vulnerabilities and a number of strategic risks. It also highlighted that the deployment of 5G networks is expected to result in an increased exposure to attacks and more potential entry points for attackers.
“This report is a high-level analysis of 5G cybersecurity risks based on standardized risk assessment methodology,” said Zhong Hong. “ZTE, as a listed company with an explicit shareholding structure, keeps to openness and transparency. Cybersecurity is one of the highest priorities for ZTE’s product R&D and service delivery, and we make continuous efforts to improve.
“ZTE welcomes security assessments on a technical basis, including source code review, as well as independent assessments by third parties. Constantly adhering to the concept of openness, collaboration, and transparency, ZTE actively collaborates with regulators, operators, and other stakeholders to contribute to building secure 5G networks,” he added.
Zhong highlighted that security is a main issue for the vendor as its 5G products and solutions will be mainly applied to infrastructure of communications network.
“On the one hand, we follow related laws and regulatory requirements of the industry, keep in line with industry standards, and participate in standard development. Embedding security requirements in our product development process, we deploy 5G security features in architecture design to ensure our products are secure by design and by default,” he said. “On the other hand, we established cybersecurity labs in and outside China to achieve transparency through security assessment. Leveraging the labs, we cooperate with external organizations in areas of assessment, certification, and research, closely follow up the evolution of industry standards and updates of regulations, and maintain interactions with customers and other stakeholders, in order to ensure that 5G networks are secure and trustworthy.”
Zhong explained that ZTE’s labs in China, Belgium, and Italy allow local and remote source code review and security design review of 5G products. In addition, the labs serve as a platform for the company to cooperate with industry associations, partners, and academic institutions to exchange skills and transfer capabilities on security assessment and certification.
ZTE would consider to open additional cybersecurity labs in other markets depending on the needs of business development, the executive said.
ZTE’s President for Western Europe Hu Kun previously told RCR Wireless News that ZTE expected to create a unified platform connecting these three cybersecurity facilities.
Zhong Hong had also told reporters during Mobile World Congress 2019 Barcelona that ZTE plans to gradually achieve the cybersecurity goals through three steps: first, meeting the requirements of cybersecurity laws, regulations and industry standards as well as certification schemes; second, conducting an open dialogue to enhance transparency and establishing cooperation with customers as well as regulatory agencies; and third, sustaining the open cooperation mechanism to contribute to cybersecurity standardization.
