The Second Half of All-Optical Communication Starts with Native Security: Joint Lab for Cybersecurity Officially Established、

Recently, the Joint Laboratory for Network Communication Security of Guangdong Institute of Integrated Communication Technology was officially inaugurated.

Co-built by Shenzhen AINOPOL Information Technology (affiliated to Guangdong Institute of Integrated Communication Technology) and Chengdu Hengruida Technology Co., Ltd., the laboratory leverages the research platform of the institute. It combines the strengths of Hengruida Security Lab in cyber offensive & defensive testing, vulnerability mining, security assessment and security research, together with AINOPOL’s hardware platform capabilities, product industrialization experience and rich industry scenario resources in network communication, all-optical network equipment and cybersecurity products. The joint lab carries out collaborative research, penetration testing, compliance verification and solution development focusing on native security of network communication devices.

This marks a substantial milestone for AINOPOL in building security capabilities for communication hardware. It also signals a new phase of joint innovation and coordinated rollout for integrated “communication + security” products and solutions.

I. Industry Background & Strategic Vision: Native Security Becomes a Must-Have for Communication Gear

With accelerated digitalization across all-optical networks, enterprise campuses, hotels, education facilities and industrial sites, network communication devices have evolved from simple connectivity tools into the digital infrastructure hosting core services and sensitive data. Security flaws in device firmware, communication protocol stacks, management and control planes do not affect only single units; they endanger the whole network perimeter and business continuity.

Driven by regulations including the Cybersecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China and Measures for Supervision and Inspection of Cyberspace Security (MPS Order No.176), together with continuous refinement of the classified protection system, customer expectations for communication products have shifted from “functional and stable” to secure, trusted and verifiable.

Faced with dual pressures of real-world adversarial testing and regulatory audits, traditional bolt-on security measures are no longer sufficient. Security capabilities must be embedded at the architectural, firmware and protocol design stages — the native security approach.

AINOPOL has long specialized in network communication and all-optical hardware, with mature hardware platforms and broad industry coverage. On the security side, AINOPOL has made forward-looking layouts and built a full portfolio covering all-optical gateways, firewalls, internet behavior management, WAF, AV antivirus, log audit systems and bastion hosts. Multiple flagship products have passed authoritative national security certifications and obtained relevant sales qualifications.

Nevertheless, stacking standalone security appliances cannot eliminate underlying vulnerabilities amid escalating cyber threats and stringent compliance rules. Launching this joint lab is AINOPOL’s key strategic move to advance from product-level security toward device-native security. It strengthens the underlying security foundation, deepens security research, improves competitiveness of industry solutions, and makes security a factory-default feature built into network hardware.

II. Four Core Focus Areas to Build End-to-End Security Lifecycle Protection

The joint lab is more than a nominal plaque; it is a practical technology research platform centered on native security for communication equipment. Supported by the Guangdong Institute of Integrated Communication Technology, the lab targets four core missions:

1. Native security research for communication devices
   Conduct security architecture design for firmware, transmission encryption over native all-optical protocol stacks, management and control planes, embedding security controls at multiple origins: network ingress, transmission paths and terminals.
2. Practical product penetration & offensive testing
   Run penetration tests and vulnerability assessments on AINOPOL communication and security products. Adopt an attacker’s perspective to validate security robustness, and close the loop on flaw discovery, remediation and verification.
3. Security assessment and compliance validation
   Provide compliance verification and technical support aligned with classified protection and other applicable regulatory requirements, helping products and industry solutions satisfy customer audit demands.
4. Scenario-oriented security solution development
   Co-develop the Integrated Access & Security Solution that combines all-optical communication with built-in security, tailored for hotels, education, enterprise campuses and industrial environments, bringing native security into real production scenarios.

III. Driven by Offensive & Defensive Practice: Empowerment from Hengruida’s Proven Expertise

Founded in 2010, Chengdu Hengruida Technology is a security service provider focusing on adversarial testing. As a Class B national cybersecurity emergency response support unit, Hengruida continuously provides technical support for cybersecurity inspections and case investigation for cyberspace and public security authorities, earning high recognition across the sector.

Hengruida boasts extensive track records in national, provincial and municipal offensive-defensive drills (including first-place awards in Mianyang and Dazhou exercises), and successfully delivered cybersecurity guarantee services for venues of the Chengdu Universiade. Its combat-proven security strength has been fully validated in major real-world missions.

In addition, Hengruida has independently developed an all-in-one security service platform with outstanding capabilities in asset discovery, vulnerability management and threat honeypot systems. Its honeypot product achieved top-tier results in evaluations organized by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

The core value of the joint lab links research platforms, offensive security expertise, hardware products and vertical scenarios into one innovation chain:

• AINOPOL as the Shield: delivers all-optical communication hardware, mass-production capability and wide customer scenarios, with a mature security product matrix and official certifications.
• Hengruida as the Spear: brings frontline offensive-defensive experience, vulnerability mining expertise, security assessment know-how and its unified security operation platform.

Centered on native security of communication equipment, the partnership embeds security capabilities deep inside all-optical hardware, jointly develops Integrated Access & Security products, explores industry markets and realizes collaborative innovation of industry, academia, research and end-user application.

Going forward, the joint lab will operate as a joint technical validation and product incubation base.
On one hand, AINOPOL’s communication and cybersecurity products will undergo continuous penetration testing and vulnerability auditing by Hengruida Security Lab to lift inherent security levels.
On the other hand, Hengruida’s security platform will be deeply integrated with AINOPOL hardware, pushing network communication devices to evolve from mere connectivity gear into native-secure digital infrastructure, and expanding business in vertical industries together.