EU warns hostile countries are 5G risk, avoids naming names

LONDON (AP) - The European Union has warned that next-generation telecommunication networks face a range of cyber threats, including from hostile countries.

While steering clear of singling out China's Huawei, an EU security risk assessment Wednesday identified "states or state-backed actors" as the most serious and likely culprits to carry out sophisticated attacks on new 5G networks.

The report didn't name specific countries. It only briefly mentioned Huawei as one of the main suppliers of 5G equipment, alongside Finland's Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson.

It cited a possible risk scenario in which a "hostile state actor" pressures a supplier "under its jurisdiction to provide access to sensitive network assets."

The U.S. has been lobbying European allies to shun Huawei over concerns it might aid Chinese spying.