Building a safer cybersecurity environment demands a collaborative approach from regulators and industry players worldwide. Yet, despite this need, there are currently no globally accepted cybersecurity standards. We lack a universally agreed measure of what constitute “secure” architecture in the cyber realm, this highlights the necessity for cross-sector standards before we can rank the performance of vendors across various markets.
This lack of standardization presents a significant challenge. According to the Rotating Chairman of Huawei, Eric Xu, “Scientists and engineers would prefer a unified global standard so that people can follow this standard to develop better products.” As cybersecurity is a highly technical field that demands expertise, companies like Huawei have been actively collaborating with governments and industry partners worldwide to agree on digital security standards. This shared responsibility is crucial to creating a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.
One area where these efforts are particularly vital is the 5G space, where new technology is often entangled in cybersecurity debates. The consultation around 5G standards is driven not by nationalistic or political motives, but by the practical need to reduce costs and improve returns on investment for all industry players. Europe and China, for instance, have made significant strides in working towards a unified global standard for 5G, thanks to these concerted industry efforts.
However, progress in 5G security is frequently disrupted whenever it becomes a political or ideological issue. When cybersecurity and 5G are used as political footballs, global collaboration slows, markets become polarized, and we fall into building incompatible technologies and standards across different regions.
The emergence of 5G offers an unprecedented opportunity for global cooperation. It allows industry players to come together, agree on secure standards, and create a platform that is inherently more secure than previous generations of technology. The 5G platform is already highly secure, with built-in 256-bit encryption that requires immense computing power to hack—so much so that even quantum computers, which aren’t widely available yet, would be necessary to break into these networks.
As Eric Xu puts it, “Cybersecurity is an issue that challenges everyone. It should, therefore, get special attention in the definition of 5G-related standards. 5G is more secure than previous generations of mobile communication technologies.”
It is crucial to return the cybersecurity debate to its core – technology. Geopolitical manoeuvering and grandstanding around cybersecurity do not advance the issue, but hinder progress. Objective, technology-based standards must form the foundation of our approach to cybersecurity.
With this in mind, Huawei has been an active participant in over 400 standards organisations, industry alliances, and open-source communities worldwide. Through consistent engagement, Huawei has submitted nearly 60,000 proposals over the years, contributing significantly to building a robust and secure industry ecosystem. In fact, research and consulting firm, Strategy Analytics found that Huawei has made more contributions to end-to-end 5G standards than any other company globally.
The standard-setting process in cybersecurity and 5G is collaborative by nature. Taking an adversarial approach only holds back everyone involved, particularly those who choose not to participate.
Cybersecurity is a shared but differentiated responsibility. Vendors, operators, governments, and citizens all have distinct roles to play, and the only way to protect the interests of all stakeholders is through broad consultation, open dialogue, and inclusive participation.
Huawei understands this and continues to work closely with governments, industry bodies, and operators to maintain an ongoing dialogue on cybersecurity. In the UK, Huawei enjoys a constructive relationship with the government, despite its strict scrutiny of Huawei’s equipment. It is important to note that concerns raised about Huawei’s technology focus on quality and security—not issues of cyber espionage or malfeasance.
Having operated in Europe for nearly 20 years, Huawei has built strong relationships with its customers, demonstrating trust in the company’s commitment to high-end cybersecurity standards. To further bolster these relationships, Huawei established the Huawei Cyber Security Transparency Centre in Brussels, providing a platform for communication and joint innovation with stakeholders. The center also offers technical verification and evaluation for customers, further enhancing trust and transparency.
Huawei remains committed to consulting with all stakeholders to develop secure and reliable 5G and cybersecurity standards. Our relationships with industry stakeholders are built on openness and honesty, and we welcome constructive criticism and robust discussion.
Technology is not a battleground for proxy wars or global domination. It should not be about one nation striving to become the world’s leading technological superpower at the expense of others. Instead, technology and its advancements should benefit all of humanity. It is essential for industry players—governments, companies, and individuals—to continue communicating and engaging to set the standards that will shape the future of technology for the next century.
