China to mobilize Net users for cyber security

Cyber education drive planned

Facing a rapid surge in cyber attacks in recent years, China is ready to mobilize its masses of Internet users, one-fifths of the world in number, to jointly safeguard cyber security.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 2017 China Internet Security Conference in Beijing, Yang Xiaowei, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), noted that ordinary people should be allowed full play in safeguarding the country's cyber security. To strengthen people's awareness of cyber security, China will launch a large-scale campaign of cyber security education in residential communities, schools, enterprises and families.

For example, the CAC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education, is scheduled to carry out a national campaign on cyber security education in universities in the coming months. The first lecture will be held in Tsinghua University on Thursday and more seminars and forums will be held in 12 universities. Moreover, for the first time, China will elect a batch of model cyber security schools this year. In 2016, the CAC awarded 19 cyber security talents with 1 million yuan ($153,071), 500,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan respectively.

Meanwhile, China is also considering to adopt a cyber security classification protection regulation, revealed Guo Qiquan, a chief engineer on cyber security at the Ministry of Public Security, at the conference. Guo did not give further details on the regulation, but pointed out that a new era of "classified protection 2.0" has arrived and key basic infrastructure at national level should be high on the protection list. Although China has been stepping up its efforts in building a healthy cyberspace, experts at the conference expressed worries over rising cyber threats and rampant cyber crimes.

"Though we have held various cyber security conferences and claimed to have solved many problems, the cyber security situation is getting worse," Zhou Hongyi, Qihu 360 founder, said at the conference.

Zhou added that there has been a surge in cyber crimes. "A latest survey showed that the losses caused by cyber crimes worldwide have topped $3 trillion, and the amount will climb to $6 trillion in 2021," said Zhou.

Experts warned that the world has entered an era of cyber war, and urged the government to invest more in cyber weapons and cyber operations instead of planes, tanks and cannons.

General Hao Yeli, vice president of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, suggested establishing a cyber military control. "If a country develops cyber weapons on account of its technological advantages, once the technology is leaked, that would threaten the whole world.

Therefore, a cyber military control commission should be established under the framework of the United Nations to formulate an international convention on the proliferation of cyber weapons," said Hao.