European Commission sets out plan for common approach to 5G cyber security

The move follows on the heels of expressions of support from heads of state or government for a concerted approach to 5G network security, which were made at the European Council on 22 March and remarks made by Mariya Gabriel, the European commissioner for digital economy and society at Mobile World Congress Barcelona. Gabriel said that her organisation recognised the need for a common approach to 5G cybersecurity – remarks that were widely perceived as being a response to the controversy around Huawei, given the national security concerns that have been voiced by the US government (Huawei announced that it was suing it over these allegations on 7 March).

Further reading:
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Huawei pledges to address national security concerns

The Commission’s recommendations are a combination of legislative and policy instruments. The Commission states that each member state should complete a national risk assessment of 5G network infrastructures by the end of June 2019 and use this to update their existing security requirements for network providers and include conditions for ensuring the security of public networks, especially when granting rights of use for radio frequencies in 5G bands.