Former U.S. defense contractor joins Huawei

Published on July 18, 2012 by connie | This story has been viewed 459 views

Shenzhen, China- Huawei Technologies, the world’s second largest telecommunication supplier, has hired Donald Andy Purdy, former U.S. defense contractor official, as its chief security officer. Some foreign media said the company is trying to change people’s perceptions that it is helping Chinese intelligence department to insert its technologies to U.S. system.

According to the report of Washington Post, Purdy, former chief cyber-security strategist of U.S. Computer Science Company, has begun his new job on July 10th. Though Purdy declined to give any comment, the foreign affair vice president of Huawei in the United States William Plummer said, “As a global information and communication technology company, Huawei has taken the security matters seriously. We are looking forward to benefiting from Purdy.”

Purdy’s joining in Huawei has evoked some comments among the circle of network and national security. Some observer pointed out, as a former official of U.S. homeland security department, Purdy used to worry about Huawei that tries to enter the U.S. market. They also said he would surely help Huawei understand the standpoints of U.S. government.

“Huawei is smart. It’s trying to prove that the company can be a credible partner and we can trust it. Purdy is experienced and well-known within the industry,” said James A. Lewis, a cyber and China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

An industry official who declined to tell his name said Huawei has been looking for some persons who have close relation with the governments of the United States, Britain and other countries. Because there are issues that have made Huawei worried, one is that the turnover in those countries has been declining and the second is that those countries’ policies and regulations may go against the company’s business development.

Shenzhen Post Elaine contributes to the story.

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