ZTE looks forward to building two more cybersecurity labs in Rome and Nanjing ZTE has recently launched a cybersecurity lab in Brussels to enable the company gain better access to external security verification for its services and products, including its 5G equipment, and enhance its transparency. Apparently, the new lab is called Cybersecurity Lab Europe and was set up on July 10, 2019. The firm announced that the lab's major purpose will be to enable potential clients and regulators to review ZTE's documents and source credits and perform penetration and black box testing. Additionally, the lab will conduct thorough research together with industry-leading cybersecurity organizations into the security used for its 5G gear. Zhong Hong, ZTE Chief Security Officer, was quoted saying that the lab's original purpose is to offer global customers, stakeholders and regulators supreme transparency via communication and verification. Hong noted that a sole vendor wasn't enough to guard the security for ICT industry and his company is willing to play a crucial role in contributing towards the security of the sector along with its customers and stakeholders. Evidently, ZTE and Huawei could be facing extrajudicial instructions from Beijing and ZTE is banned from taking part in 5G rollouts in Japan and Australia. However, European companies are continuing to work with Chinese operators like Huawei and ZTE and all of UK's leading telcos are using Huawei equipment in their 5G rollouts. Meanwhile, ZTE and Orange España had partnered up last month to demonstrate various use cases for 5G networks. United States President Donald Trump had reportedly signed an executive order banning American brands from purchasing, installing, or using foreign-made telecom equipment citing cyber-surveillance concerns. The ban is effectively targeting Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturers like ZTE and Huawei, although no names are mentioned in the executive order. Sources with knowledge on the matter stated that ZTE had been barred from purchasing components from the United States after the company was found to have breached a US trade embargo with Iran. The ban was eventually lifted after ZTE had agreed to pay a penalty price of $1.4 billion. Source credit: https://www.zdnet.com/article/zte-launches-brussels-cybersecurity-lab-as-a-transparency-play/