Editing Nortel (section)

=== Hacks ===
{{See also|Julian Assange#Hacking}}

In September 1991, [[Julian Assange]] was discovered in the act of hacking into the Melbourne master terminal of Nortel.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Khatchadourian |first=Raffi |url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khatchadourian?currentPage=all |title=WikiLeaks and Julian Paul Assange |magazine=The New Yorker |date=June 7, 2010 |access-date=May 26, 2012 |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527001503/http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khatchadourian?currentPage=all |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

In 2001 Nortel identified knockoff products circulating in the Chinese market, where they did not compete.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Obiko Pearson|first=Natalie|date=July 1, 2020|title=Did a Chinese Hack Kill Canada's Greatest Tech Company? Nortel was once a world leader in wireless technology. Then came a hack and the rise of Huawei.|work=Bloomberg Businessweek|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-01/did-china-steal-canada-s-edge-in-5g-from-nortel|access-date=July 2, 2020|archive-date=July 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701193336/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-01/did-china-steal-canada-s-edge-in-5g-from-nortel|url-status=live}}</ref> The management chose not to press the issue.<ref>{{cite web |last1=V. Hulme |first1=George |title=Why our lack of understanding on China may be the biggest risk |url=https://www.csoonline.com/article/2597397/why-our-lack-of-understanding-on-china-may-be-the-biggest-risk.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804140718/https://www.csoonline.com/article/2597397/why-our-lack-of-understanding-on-china-may-be-the-biggest-risk.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 4, 2020 |website=csoonline.com |publisher=IOG Communications inc |access-date=14 June 2019 |date=August 25, 2014 }}</ref> Brian Shields, former chief security officer at Nortel, said his company was compromised in 2004 by China-based hackers; executive credentials were accessed remotely, and entire computers were taken over.<ref name="Kehoe">{{Cite web |last=Kehoe |first=John |date=26 May 2014 |title=How Chinese hacking felled telecommunication giant Nortel |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/web/security/how-chinese-hacking-felled-telecommunication-giant-nortel-20140526-iux6a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607204151/https://www.afr.com/technology/web/security/how-chinese-hacking-felled-telecommunication-giant-nortel-20140526-iux6a |archive-date=7 June 2019 |access-date=7 June 2019 |website=[[Australian Financial Review]]}}</ref> Nortel's own specialist did not find any abnormality. In 2008, Shields decided to approach an outside expert, who reported finding sophisticated malware in the company's machines and activities traced to Chinese IP addresses and discussions on a Mandarin [[Internet forum]]. Shields had tried to escalate the issue within the company, but senior staff members did not take any action. [[Mike Zafirovski]], one of Nortel's top executives at the time, was skeptical, citing Shields' reputation for exaggeration.<ref name="FinPo 2012">{{cite web |last1=Berkow |first1=Jameson |title=Nortel hacked to pieces |url=https://business.financialpost.com/technology/nortel-hacked-to-pieces |website=financialpost.com |publisher=Financial Post |access-date=7 June 2019 |date=2012-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607204136/https://business.financialpost.com/technology/nortel-hacked-to-pieces |archive-date=7 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Nortel sought for but failed to receive help from the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|RCMP]]. A former [[Canadian Security Intelligence Service|CSIS]] official said the agency approached the company but was rebuffed.<ref name="Globe and Mail 2012">{{Cite news |last=Marlow |first=Iain |date=15 February 2012 |title=Nortel turned to RCMP about cyber hacking in 2004, ex-employee says |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/tech-news/nortel-turned-to-rcmp-about-cyber-hacking-in-2004-ex-employee-says/article534295/ |access-date=7 June 2019 |archive-date=August 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804003449/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/tech-news/nortel-turned-to-rcmp-about-cyber-hacking-in-2004-ex-employee-says/article534295/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Wall-Street-Hacker" />

Nortel allegedly failed to disclose the problem to potential buyers of its business, a "despicable" omission according to Shields. [[Avaya]] and [[Genband]] both acquired parts of Nortel, and some employees used old Nortel machines connected to the new companies' networks. Avaya says it has dealt with the issue after Shields informed the new companies of his investigation.<ref name="Wall-Street-Hacker">{{cite news
 | last = Gorman
 | first = Siobhan
 | title = Chinese Hackers Suspected In Long-Term Nortel Breach
 | work = The Wall Street Journal
 | date = February 14, 2012
 | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203363504577187502201577054?_nocache=1329206812142&user=welcome&mg=id-wsj
 | access-date = February 14, 2012
 | archive-date = August 9, 2018
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180809111844/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203363504577187502201577054?_nocache=1329206812142&user=welcome&mg=id-wsj
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref><ref name="The-Verge-Hacker">{{cite news
 | last = Tom
 | first = Warren
 | title = Hackers roamed Nortel's network for years without detection
 | work = The Verge
 | date = February 14, 2012
 | url = https://www.theverge.com/2012/2/14/2797047/nortel-undetected-hacking-breach
 | access-date = February 14, 2012
 | archive-date = February 15, 2012
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120215223049/http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/14/2797047/nortel-undetected-hacking-breach
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400242,00.asp | journal=PC Magazine | first=Chloe | last=Albanesius | title=Report: Nortel Breached by Hackers for Almost 10 Years | date=February 14, 2012 | access-date=September 6, 2017 | archive-date=June 17, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617192407/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400242,00.asp | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stechyson |first=Natalie |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/Nortel+hacked+decade+according+report/6154044/story.html |title=Nortel hacked for a decade, according to report |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=February 15, 2012 |access-date=May 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428224649/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Nortel+hacked+decade+according+report/6154044/story.html |archive-date=April 28, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nortel-collapse-linked-to-chinese-hackers-1.1260591 | work=CBC News | title=Nortel collapse linked to Chinese hackers | date=February 16, 2012 | access-date=February 16, 2012 | archive-date=February 16, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216131258/http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/02/15/nortel-hacking-shields-as-it-happens.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

Cybersecurity experts have some doubts about a hack of such magnitude as described by Shields, calling it "unlikely". Shields does not think [[Huawei]] was directly involved, but industry insiders, including him, believe that Huawei and [[ZTE]] were beneficiaries of the hack.<ref name="Kehoe" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Waddell |first1=Nick |title=Will allegations against Huawei forever change Nortel's legacy? |url=https://www.cantechletter.com/2012/10/will-allegations-against-huawei-forever-change-nortels-legacy/ |website=cantechletter.com |publisher=[[Cantech Letter]] |access-date=7 June 2019 |date=2012-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607221327/https://www.cantechletter.com/2012/10/will-allegations-against-huawei-forever-change-nortels-legacy/ |archive-date=7 June 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Payton |first1=Laura |title=Former Nortel exec warns against working with Huawei |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/former-nortel-exec-warns-against-working-with-huawei-1.1137006 |website=www.cbc.ca |publisher=CBC |access-date=24 June 2019 |archive-date=June 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611211113/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/former-nortel-exec-warns-against-working-with-huawei-1.1137006 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Obiko Pearson |first1=Natalie |title=Did a Chinese Hack Kill Canada's Greatest Tech Company? |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-01/did-china-steal-canada-s-edge-in-5g-from-nortel |access-date=1 July 2020 |work=Bloomberg News |date=1 July 2020 |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701193336/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-01/did-china-steal-canada-s-edge-in-5g-from-nortel |url-status=live }}</ref>