Commerce Department delay in banning sales to Huawei prompted by cybersecurity concerns

The Commerce Department's abrupt decision Monday night to put off for 90 days a ban on U.S. tech companies selling to China-based Huawei was prompted in part by cybersecurity concerns.

The department's Bureau of Industry and Security says the suspension is necessary to ensure cybersecurity updates and vulnerability assessments can occur on a global system that is embedded with Huawei products and components, according to a Federal Register notice slated to be published Wednesday.

The BIS is authorizing the...