Huawei said speakers at a Vienna telecom summit called for security to be built into network architecture as cloud-native systems, open interfaces and artificial intelligence reshape operations and cyber risks.
Huawei said GSMA Intelligence presented its July 2026 paper, A target architecture for telecoms cybersecurity, at the Net5.5G Intelligent IP Network Summit during the Global Ultra-Broadband Forum 2026. The 25-page report draws on a survey of operators in Asia Pacific, according to GSMA Intelligence’s public summary, which does not disclose how many operators took part.
GSMA Intelligence says the research examines how cloud-native infrastructure, open interfaces, AI and closer links between information technology and communications technology are changing telecom operations and cyber risk. It argues that defenses focused only on network perimeters are insufficient and sets out an architecture-led approach. The framework includes native security, defense in depth, dual security operations center operations and AI-enabled tools.
Huawei’s account described native security as integrating safeguards into network elements across design, production, deployment and operation. It characterized defense in depth as using multiple protective layers against complex threats. GSMA Intelligence also describes telecom networks as important to economies, businesses and public services. Its summary says growing automation is coinciding with attacks that evolve quickly, use advanced methods and evade notice more readily.
Huawei said representatives of Study Group 13 of the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T SG13) and AV-TEST called for security to be incorporated into network architecture at the design stage. The company also said ITU-T SG13 and the World Broadband Association (WBBA) launched the “Build Resilient, Secure IP Networks Together” initiative. It urges carriers worldwide to strengthen network security and resilience to support reliable, continuous services.
Huawei said the paper also warned that attackers might retain encrypted information in hopes of decrypting it with quantum computers in the future. The company’s event account attributed that warning to the paper.
Leon Wang, president of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, described AI as shifting from an efficiency aid toward a way for telecom operators to generate revenue, Huawei said. Separately, the company linked resilient networks to service continuity and operators’ efforts to develop AI-related revenue models.
