BIS head: Huawei devices pose threat comparable to Russian gas dependency

Devices produced by Chinese tech giant Huawei continue to pose a significant security risk, Michal Koudelka, head of the Security Information Service (BIS), said on Thursday.

Speaking at a parliamentary conference on the risks of economic and technological dependence on China, Mr. Koudelka compared the potential vulnerabilities linked to Huawei technology to Europe’s prior dependence on Russian gas, which became a critical issue following the war in Ukraine.

He also said the use of Huawei’s equipment in critical infrastructure could lead to dangerous dependencies, especially in the event of future conflicts or geopolitical tensions.

Czechia’s National Cyber and Security Information Agency issued a formal warning against using hardware and software from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in late 2018, citing security concerns.