Huawei Technologies has appointed its first global cyber security officer as part of its efforts to ensure the safety of its internal systems and the equipment it supplies to carriers and enterprise customers.

The Chinese equipment vendor has picked John Suffolk, the former chief information officer to the UK government, for the role. Suffolk is tasked with developing a cyber security assurance strategy and systems that will be rolled out across all Huawei’s businesses.

“With convergence of the ICT industry, Huawei is expanding its business beyond its traditional operator market to meet the communications need of both enterprises and consumers. Industry convergence will also expand the complexity of cyber security challenges,” deputy chairman Ken Hu explains.

While the appointment – which becomes effective on October 1 – is primarily designed to protect Huawei’s internal systems, the vendor will hope it also helps it address global concerns over the security of its kit. The firm has run into political resistance in the UK, US and India due to alleged links with the Chinese military, which it has consistently denied.