- The Strategist - https://www.aspistrategist.org.au -
Editors’ picks for 2018: ‘The African Union headquarters hack and Australia’s 5G network’
Posted By Danielle Cave on December 27, 2018 @ 06:00
The international community should provide support and help to the resolution of African issues. China believes that such help should be based on respect for the will of the African people and should be constructive. It should reinforce, rather than undercut, Africa’s independent efforts to solve problems. Interference in Africa’s internal affairs by outside forces out of selfish motives can only complicate the efforts to resolve issues in Africa.
African Union’s Data Center is a very critical asset for the African Union. The data stored and systems hosted in this data center need to be protected from any form of internal or external threats and unauthorized access.
As a top organization coordinating pan-African political, economic, and military issues, the African Union Commission (AUC) needed a robust information system to support a large number of conferences and the larger amounts of data that they entail. As most of this information is of a confidential nature, legacy PCs were proving too vulnerable to hackers, phishing, viruses, and other forms of compromise.
The AU needed a robust solution to streamline their conference operations and protect their data from a variety of security threats. They chose Huawei’s FusionCloud Desktop Solution, which offers computing, storage sharing, and resource allocation through cloud data centers.
The [Huawei] solution deployed all computing and storage resources in the AU’s central data center where it seamlessly connects to the original IT system. Then, Huawei installed Wi-Fi hotspots and provided the industry’s first Thin Clients (TC) customized with Wi-Fi access …Traditional PC-based architecture exposes data to serious security risks. With Operating Systems (OS) and applications installed on individual machines, data is vulnerable to viruses and plain text transmissions are easier to steal. The FusionCloud solution moves the OS and applications to centralized servers in the AU’s data center to minimize information leakage while TC security measures such as authentication and encryption further secure data.
Centralized storage in the data center protects data from attack and prevents data leakage from PCs. The system further protects with terminal authentication and encrypted transmission.
Article printed from The Strategist: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au
URL to article: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/editors-picks-for-2018-the-african-union-headquarters-hack-and-australias-5g-network/
[1] Greg Austin wrote in The Strategist: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-campaign-against-huawei/
[2] headquarters of the African Union: http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/african-union-headquarters/13950
[3] grand conference hall: https://au.int/en/auccc/facilities
[4] office furniture: https://www.reuters.com/article/ozatp-africa-china-20120129-idAFJOE80S00K20120129
[5] According to the World Bank: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/205721468194353464/pdf/816180PAD0P126010Box385177B00OUO090.pdf
[6] public ceremony: http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20120129/102944.shtml
[7] he said: http://www.gov.cn/english/2012-01/29/content_2053803.htm
[8] sheds light: https://www.afr.com/business/telecommunications/can-we-trust-the-spies-on-chinas-huawei-20180615-h11fe7
[9] national security concerns: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/national-security-the-public-debate-and-the-end-of-just-trust-us/
[10] investigation: https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/01/26/a-addis-abeba-le-siege-de-l-union-africaine-espionne-par-les-chinois_5247521_3212.html
[11] reported: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africanunion-summit-china/china-denies-report-it-hacked-african-union-headquarters-idUSKBN1FI2I5
[12] reported that: https://news.cgtn.com/news/346b6a4e30677a6333566d54/share_p.html
[13] as saying: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42861276
[14] including the Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/c26a9214-04f2-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5
[15] think tanks: https://www.cfr.org/blog/african-union-bugged-china-cyber-espionage-evidence-strategic-shifts
[16] private consultancies: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/african-union-rocked-by-china-spying-allegations/
[17] information and communications technology: https://au.int/sites/default/files/bids/34509-bidding_document_-_supply_and_delivery_it_equipment_and_accessories.pdf
[18] infrastructure: https://au.int/sites/default/files/pages/21054-file-contracts_awarded_during_2017.pdf
[19] a new WiFi system: https://au.int/sites/default/files/bids/34462-supply_and_installation_of_supply_and_installation_of_ruckus_high_density_wireless_lan_wifi_for_african_union_conference_areas_and_julius_nyerere_building.pdf
[20] AU’s data centre: https://au.int/sites/default/files/bids/34602-supply_installation_configuration_testing_and_implementation_of_next_generation_firewall_data_center_for_the_african_union_commission_addis_ababa_africa_union_commission.pdf
[21] signed a contract: https://www.huawei.com/en/about-huawei/publications/winwin-magazine/13/HW_147045
[22] cloud computing: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ZRd3o1APSK0J:e-file.huawei.com/~/media/EBG/Download_Files/Cases/en/AU%2520Conference%2520Center%2520Desktop%2520Cloud-a%2520Secure%2520and%2520Efficient%2520Office%2520Platform.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au
[23] a memorandum of understanding: https://www.zawya.com/story/African_Union_and_Huawei_Sign_MoU_on_Partnership-ZAWYA20150130041842/
[24] ICT infrastructure development and cooperation: https://au.int/en/newsevents/29758/auc-signs-mou-huawei-partnership-ict
[25] batches: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-05/26/c_136318335.htm
[26] batches: https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20151203-3
[27] described the service provision as follows: https://e.huawei.com/au/case-studies/global/older/hw_201214
[28] this solution: http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/756638/Descargas/Fernando_Velazquez.pdf?t=1460755143345
[29] reported: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/china-planted-bugs-while-building-african-union-hq-wqgw5ff7q
[30] that the: https://www.ft.com/content/c9f8367a-05b1-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5
[31] states: https://au.int/sites/default/files/bids/34457-revamping_of_old_campus_network_replacement_of_core_switches_bid.pdf
[32] do cite: http://www.aucareers.org/viewvacancy.aspx?id=582
[33] funds the overseas travel: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/who-funds-federal-parliamentarians-overseas-travel
[34] technical and cybersecurity risk: https://www.afr.com/opinion/columnists/the-technical-reasons-why-huawei-too-great-a-5g-risk-20180614-h11e3o
[35] China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/huawei-highlights-chinas-expansion-dilemma-espionage-or-profit/
[36] counterespionage law: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-china-lawmaking-espionage/china-adds-broad-new-definitions-to-counter-espionage-law-idUKKBN1E01DF