Our military allies might not be as secure as they think. Various Pentagon leaders are warning about the risks that European and Asian allies are in when they use Chinese 5G wireless telecommunications.
According to a report by the Washington Post, six former officials made a statement on Wednesday, claiming that the upcoming new network system referred to as 5G might actually pose security risks to military personnel.
Currently, most smartphones use the 4G telecommunication system. And while it’s fast, the new 5G system is nearly 100 times faster. This would allow immense amounts of data to travel wireless over even bigger distances. Such an idea could be appealing to major mobile organizations, including military.
One of the biggest companies providing the new system includes Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications firm. The firm has a history of cooperating with the Chinese government and certain laws could force them to cooperate if demanded to. Due to this, Pentagon officials believe there is a greater risk of espionage and cyber attacks. In turn, they recommend NOT using the new system at this time.
The United States takes it’s classified information pretty seriously. While we as civilians have nothing to worry about, this does highlight the increased tension we’re cultivating with China.