American authorities accuse Chinese company of technology theft
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) accuses the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in two cases, including the one that led to the arrest of a senior executive of the company in Canada, as report by network security and ethical hacking specialists from the International Institute of Cyber Security.
The DOJ mentioned that these charges are the U.S. government’s response to the persistent campaign that the company has deployed to exploit American organizations.
According to network security specialists, the DOJ confirmed that 13 charges were filed against Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, as well as three other collaborators; the company employees have been accused of violating the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government on Iran.
Wanzhou is the daughter of Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei, who is on bail in Canada, pending a possible process of extradition to the U.S. These measures have generated a high level of tension in relations between the United States, Canada and China.
In addition, another 10 charges for technological espionage were filed against two Huawei subsidiary companies, the network security specialists mentioned.
Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stated that “the charges against these companies expose Huawei arbitrary and persistent actions against American companies and financial institutions, which is attentive against free competition”. On the other hand, Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Attorney General, mentioned that the extradition process against Ren Zhengfei will begin later this month.
According to Whitaker, the prosecution is not trying to link the Chinese government with Huawei’s malicious actions, but the U.S. believes China must make its organizations comply with the laws. “As I told Chinese officials last August, China must ensure that its citizens and organizations comply with their law”, said Whitaker.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
