Is Huawei a threat to U.S. national security?

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Takeaway: Telecommunications giant Huawei’s rapid expansion has prompted fears in the U.S. national security establishment about cyberespionage threats emanating from China. What do IT pros think? Voice your opinion in the poll.

The CBS news program 60 Minutes ran a report on the Chinese company Huawei and the espionage concerns that have prompted an investigation by the U.S. House Intelligence Committee. The company, based in Shenzhen, China is the largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipmentin the world, including switches, gateways, smartphones, tablets, and much more.National security and government personnel are suspicious of Huawei’s motives, already claiming that the company has basically stolen the intellectual property of other technology companies to help fuel its growth. But it is the specter of American businesses allowing the Chinese company to build critical networking infrastructure that has many people alarmed, considering the ever-escalating threat of cyberwarfare.

Their overriding concern is this: that the Chinese government could exploit Huawei’s presence on U.S. networks to intercept high level communications, gather intelligence, wage cyber war, and shut down or disrupt critical services in times of national emergency.

If you’ve been keeping up with this story (see the CBS News report here) or watched the recent 60 Minutes episode (an excerpt is embedded below), what is your take on the Huawei controversy? As an IT pro, do you think there is a national security concern for the U.S. and other countries?