The world needs independent testing labs that can review off-the-shelf IT products and rate their trustworthiness — not only on the performance front but also from an information security standpoint.
That’s the pitch being advanced by $ 35 billion Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company Huawei. “Over the past couple of months there have been a number of revelations that have created a crisis of confidence in the information security industry,” said Bill Plummer, Huawei’s VP of external affairs, speaking by phone. “If the industry is to move forward, it’s in all of our best interests to come up with common solutions.”
Huawei officials detailed the company’s testing proposal as part of the release of the company’s Cybersecurity Perspectives whitepaper Thursday. It includes the company’s vision for “a very sophisticated, comprehensive, end-to-end assurance program,” Plummer said, that touches on everything from research and development and supply chains, to human resources processes and internal audits.
The publication describes — in response to customers’ related queries — Huawei’s own, internal processes for tackling those essential security lifecycle components, according to Huawei USA’s chief security officer, Andy Purdy. “They want to be able to trust what they buy, and have confidence that they’re getting what they want, when they buy,” Purdy said by phone. “We hope that others will call on other vendors to say what they’re doing.”