U.S.-sanctioned Chinese Tech Giant Huawei Headhunts Israeli Hackers
Huawei seeks top Israeli talent with experience in exploits research and offensive cyber. Experts warn: It's legal – but could lead to sensitive knowledge leaking to China and even Iran
Chinese tech giant Huawei is actively recruiting Israeli software engineers with expertise in exploit research – the practice of identifying weaknesses in digital systems – and offensive cyber capabilities.
While the jobs advertised are officially for defensive cybersecurity roles, Huawei's push to attract top talent from the Israeli cyber industry, many of whom have served in elite IDF cyber units, has drawn sharp criticism.
Cyber and intelligence experts who spoke to Haaretz warned that sensitive know-how could ultimately reach China through the Chinese corporation.
Huawei is under U.S. sanctions due to its alleged ties to the Chinese government and intelligence agencies. Israeli experts say even if such know-how is used only for defensive purposes in China, it could eventually be shared with Iran, given the two countries' close defense cooperation.
A telecommunications giant, Huawei produces phones and tablets, develops digital and physical infrastructure and, in recent years, has expanded into artificial intelligence and operating systems.
Under U.S. sanctions, American firms and citizens are barred from working with Huawei or supplying it with technology. Americans may not work for Huawei in any capacity – even as external consultants or freelancers – and U.S. companies are prohibited from providing products or services to the company or any of its subsidiaries, including in the field of cybersecurity.
Despite these restrictions, Huawei operates globally, with a large R&D center in India and a growing presence in several European capitals and across the Middle East. In Israel, it employs several hundred people at offices in Haifa and Hod Hasharon through its local subsidiary, Toga Networks. The company's Israeli operation focuses on research and development, specifically in advanced software technologies, including AI and cybersecurity.
'Military background a plus'
These technological sectors lie at the heart of the ongoing geopolitical battle between China and the United States – a conflict that has become increasingly open and direct.
It first came to the fore during Donald Trump's presidency, when the U.S. imposed sanctions on Huawei and other Chinese firms, pulling previously benign tech activities into the national security arena.
The sanctions, later expanded by the Biden administration, effectively cut Huawei off from the U.S. tech ecosystem, including software giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon, even for basic services such as operating systems and browsers.
Forced to develop its own platforms, Huawei ramped up internal R&D. Losing access to Google's Android also meant losing its built-in cybersecurity protections, pushing the company to develop its own security systems for its devices. With Silicon Valley off-limits, Huawei began looking elsewhere – including Israel.
Reviews of job listings and conversations with local headhunters show Huawei has been recruiting cybersecurity professionals in Israel for years, including for its "elite" defensive team based locally. In one LinkedIn post, an Israeli researcher currently employed at Huawei said the company was seeking "vulnerability researchers" and those with experience in "exploits."
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