Internet Is Still Hot Spot For Criminals
MALWARE MAKES IT HARD TO TRACK, CYBERSECURITY SUMMIT HEARS
The problem of malware cyberattacks and the use of the internet to commit crimes including fraud and invasion of privacy has worsened in China, a report issued on Tuesday said.
Cases in which hackers steal users’ personal information and then defraud or blackmail them happened frequently last year, even though the country has increased its efforts to safeguard information, according to the report, which was produced by e-commerce giant Alibaba and the Nandu Big Data Institute of Southern Metropolis Daily.
“It is difficult to follow the hackers who make or supply malware and to collect evidence in crossborder cases,” said Chen Wending, manager of the Guangdong-based institute.
He made the remark during a twoday cybersecurity summit sponsored by Alibaba and the Internet Society of China that opened on Tuesday in Beijing.
“Some people focus on technology, such as making or editing computer programs to inject Trojan malware to steal personal information, while some are malware providers or promoters,” he added.
The report also said that people engaged in such nefarious activities are becoming younger between 21 and 30 years old and are mainly active in Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
In addition, industry insiders, including those working in sectors such as medical care, insurance, transportation and express delivery, have been a major group that infringes on private information, it said.
Zhu Wei, an associate professor at China University of Political Science and Law, agreed that the fight against online crime is a big challenge for the country, “as it’s too hard to figure out where and how data is leaked”. China’s Cybersecurity Law has a chapter dedicated to the regulation of industry insiders, and makes clear their responsibility for protecting users’ privacy.
“But it has not been totally effective,” Mr Zhu said.
Alibaba highlighted the importance of cooperation between technology companies, judicial authorities and government departments for cyberspace affairs.