HUAWEI 5G Aces GSMA NESAS Security Audit : The Impact?

In a bit of good news after months of bad news, HUAWEI announced that their 5G wireless and core network equipment passed the GSMA NESAS cybersecurity audit!

While that is great news for them, what exactly is the impact on the deployment of HUAWEI 5G equipment globally?

 

HUAWEI 5G Passes GSMA Network Security Assurance Audit!

In a bit of good news after months of bad news, HUAWEI announced that their 5G wireless and core network equipment passed the GSMA Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) audit!

  • 5G RAN gNodeB
  • 5G Core UDG, UDM, UNC, UPCF
  • LTE eNodeB

Here is a summary of the twenty NESAS assessment categories and the compliance levels of the HUAWEI 5G equipment that were tested :

Prior to passing the GSMA NESAS audit, these HUAWEI 5G equipment also passed the 5G cybersecurity test by China’s IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group, using test specifications based on 3GPP International standards for 5G security assurance.

 

HUAWEI 5G Faces Political, Not Technical, Pressures

Passing the GSMA NESAS audit will help assuage the cybersecurity concerns of nations planning, or already implementing HUAWEI 5G network equipment.

However, HUAWEI faces political, not technical, pressures with their 5G network equipment.

The 100% compliance score in the NESAS audit will not change minds in the US, and their Five Eyes partners are unlikely to consider HUAWEI 5G equipment.

That said, passing this audit will nevertheless strengthen HUAWEI’s shield against claims that their 5G equipment pose much greater cybersecurity risks than competing platforms.

It will help them win additional contracts in smaller countries whose concerns are far less about cybersecurity and privacy, and more with costs.

 

GSMA Network Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS)

The GSMA Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) audit is a standardised cybersecurity assessment mechanism, jointly defined by GSMA (GSM Association) and 3GPP, together with regulators, industry partners, major global operators, and vendors.

This is a voluntary program which network equipment vendors can subject their product development and lifecycle processes to a comprehensive and independent security audit.

The GSMA NESAS covers 20 assessment categories, defining security requirements with an assessment framework for 5G product development and product lifecycle processes. It also uses security test cases by 3GPP to assess the security of network equipment.

 

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