EncryptoTel weekly digest(16.12.18)
Redistribution of the 5G equipment market, another leak from Facebook and rising cyber-security costs.
Japan’s largest telecom companies refuse to produce Huawei and ZTE
Rumors about the impending prohibition of state equipment purchases from Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE by Japan did not pass without a trace. According to Kyodo, the three largest telecommunications companies in Japan — SoftBank, NTT Docomo and KDDI — will not use the equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE to deploy new-generation 5G networks, the companies are suspected of introducing spyware chips.
Officially, none of the companies confirmed this news, but did not refute it either. SoftBank said that the company is closely following the decisions of the Japanese government and will follow its recommendations. Two other companies answered that the decision has not yet been made.
It became known last week that Japan plans to ban the purchase of equipment by Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE under government contracts. The reason is the fears of the Japanese authorities regarding the possible introduction of spy microchips into telecommunications equipment and their use for cyber attacks on future infrastructure.
Samsung hopes to take over the 5G market 5G because of the scandal with Huawei
Although Samsung is the world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones and semiconductors, Chinese Huawei dominates the telecommunications network equipment market by a large margin. But in recent months, their position has shaken amid the spy scandal.
“Strategically, these circumstances can increase our market share,” Abraham Kim, vice president of Samsung’s mobile unit, said at a conference in Seoul. “Huawei has dominated the networking market since the fourth-generation LTE, but we are ahead of them in 5G smartphone development.”
Samsung plans to launch a 5G phone with a flexible screen next year, hoping that these gadgets are the best way to spice up sales.
US companies will increase cybersecurity costs in 2019
US banks and other financial organizations intend to increase cybersecurity costs in view of the increasing risks of hacker attacks.
84 out of 100 security managers of financial organizations confirmed that in 2019 the cybersecurity budget will be increased, according to the results of the Thales eSecurity survey. In 2018, only 78 top managers reported an increase in these costs.
About 36% of respondents reported about successful cyber attacks on their companies in 2018. In 2017, this figure was 24%.
According to Bloomberg, the largest US banks have already radically increased cybersecurity costs after loud data leaks from Equifax and Anthem. Cybersecurity budgets for some financial institutions reach $ 1 billion.
Facebook reported a new possible leak
Facebook eliminated an error through which it was possible to access photos that users uploaded to social network, but did not publish them, because, for example, the signal was lost.
The company suggests that, due to a system error that lasted only 12 days from September 13 to September 25, 2018, about 6.8 million users, as well as about 1.5 thousand applications, could “suffer”.
The company promised to notify all users who are affected by this error.
For six months, after numerous scandals related to the leakage of personal data, Facebook shares sank by a quarter.
Telecommunications companies in India will implement IBM blockchain solutions
Companies in the Indian telecommunications sector intend to use blockchain solutions to manage their mobile number portability (MVP) and forbidden number (Do Not Call) registries.
According to IBM Research Vice President Sriram Raghavan, the software developer has already conducted pilot projects using blockchain solutions with all the major Indian telecom providers and with national communications regulator (TRAI).
EncryptoTel Testing Enters Final Stage
Our team continues testing our multi-functional blockchain platform. Over the past week, we have finished testing of EncryptoTel web application, smoothed all the rough edges, and also completed the mobile applications tests for Android and iOS at 80–90%.
Fundamentally, all vulnerabilities have already been fixed. But we want to make the services of EncryptoTel not only reliable and secure, but also perfect in terms of design. The work that is currently underway mainly concerns the visual part and content.
We have reached the final stretch and we hope in the near future to present a full-scale version of the world’s first telecommunications blockchain platform EncryptoTel.
