China Has A 3-Year Plan For Cyber Security

China has published an administrative regulation on major IT infrastructure security, which will take effect from September.

In a related initiative, the Chinese authorities have released a three-year draft plan for the cyber security sector, aiming to create a nearly $39 billion market for an increasingly crucial part of China's broad efforts to strengthen data protection and ensure continued growth of the platform economy.

The regulation stipulates that key IT infrastructure projects, which refer to IT network facilities and information systems of major industries in key areas, will come under the country's special protection.

The country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the draft of its most detailed strategy yet for the development of China’s cyber security industry for public comment, mandating that key industries, including the telecommunications sector to  devote 10 per cent of their IT upgrade budget to cyber security by 2023.

Measures including monitoring, defense, and proper handling of cyber security risks and threats from both home and overseas will be carried out so as to ensure that relevant facilities are protected from attacks, intrusions, interference and sabotage.

The regulation came as the country's major IT infrastructure faces severe security challenges including frequent cyber attacks, according to a State Council statement.

The regulation also called on operators of major IT infrastructure projects to bear their primary responsibility of maintaining the integrity, confidentiality and availability of relevant data. Requirements for these operators include conducting security checks and risk assessments every year, and prioritising safe and creditable internet products and services in procurement.

Personal information and important data collected and produced by the operators during their operations within the Chinese mainland should be stored in the mainland, the regulation said, adding that security assessments will be necessary for business needs of providing such data overseas.

China's cyberspace authority last month solicited public opinion for a draft revision to the country's cyber security review regulations.

According to the draft revision, information infrastructure and data operators that possess over 1 million items of personal information shall be subject to cybersecurity review before seeking a listing abroad. Risks such as critical information infrastructure, core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being influenced, controlled, or maliciously used by foreign governments after going public overseas will be evaluated in the review.

Last month, authorities launched a rigorous cyber security review by a joint team of regulators on the ride-hailing company DiDi Chuxing.Observers believe that efforts to balance development and security have become a major issue facing the country's digital and internet industries.

The cyber security related industry in China reached 170.2 billion Yuan (26.2 billion US dollars) in scale in 2020, according to the latest report issued at this year's China Internet Conference. Strengthened governance will provide a healthier environment for the development of the Internet sector with an emphasis on national security and user protection.

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Shanghai Image: Unsplash

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