Huawei offers unrestricted access to software code and equipment
There has been a lot of drama surrounding Huawei recently. The problems began with accusations by the U.S. House Intelligence Committee against Huawei and ZTE. According to the committee both companies could potentially be spying for the Chinese government. While there has been no direct proof presented to back the claim, the damage to Huawei and ZTE’s reputation has already been done. In order to help clear the company’s name, Huawei Australia’s John Lord has spoke up saying they are more than willing to give out unrestricted access to their source code and equipment.
Keep in mind that Lord isn’t talking about releasing the code to everyday people, instead his plan is to create a very specific testing environment with approved government personnel having access to the code. In short, this would mean the creation of a framework that requires foreign vendors to subject their phones to special security testing before they are allowed to go on sale.
Lord’s idea could certainly help ease accusations and fear for most consumers, but it also has potential problems. For example, what would prevent any company or carrier from switching out the approved firmware down the road? Requiring this testing phase could even slow down how quickly devices are passed through and put onto the market.
For now, the proposed system in Australia is only an idea and nothing more. Whether or not it will help ease fears in Australia remains seen. What we do know is that many countries across the globe, including the U.S. and Canada, are very skeptical of Huawei at this point due to its alleged ties directly to the Chinese government and military.
What do you think of Lord’s plan? Will it work or not? Conversely, is it overkill to have a security system like this in place?
