Senators get classified briefing on ransomware

Six senators on Wednesday sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the body to combat threats posed by using technology from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

“As you know, the Intelligence Community has issued repeated warnings to regulators and political leaders about the dangers associated with using Huawei equipment on the nation’s telecommunications network,” the senators, lead by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), wrote in a letter to FERC chair Neil Chatterjee, who oversees the country’s electrical grid.

“Congress and the Trump Administration have taken steps to eliminate Huawei products from national security sensitive applications, citing concerns with the company’s links to the Chinese Communist party, including its intelligence services,” the letter continues.

While it’s known for cellphones, Huawei also develops solar panel and energy storage technology.

Huawei announced in June that it would exit the American solar market, but the Republican lawmakers and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) expressed some skepticism.

“While Huawei announced earlier this year that it intended to exit the U.S. solar market, there are no guarantees,” they wrote in the letter.