China’s to Tighten Cybersecurity on Great Firewall

In his latest push to protect online data and information, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China must establish a “solid” security barrier around its internet under the control of the ruling Communist Party.

Xi said in instructions presented to officials attending a two-day cybersecurity meeting in Beijing that ended on Saturday that China must continue to manage, operate, and provide internet access in accordance with the law.

“We must adhere to the Party’s management of the internet and (the principle of) making the internet work for the people,” Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Xi has prioritised security over the last decade, with his idea of security encompassing everything from politics and the economy to the environment and cyberspace.

China passed a national security law in 2015 that expanded its scope to include online. A year later, a regulation was established that included requirements for security audits and data storage on Chinese servers.

China will implement regulations governing so-called key information infrastructure in 2021.

This year, lawmakers modified anti-espionage legislation to prohibit the transfer of sensitive national security information and to extend the scope of spying.

Companies must navigate China’s intricate network of rules and laws governing online data and information.

In April, the US consulting firm Bain & Company said that police had visited its Shanghai headquarters and questioned some of its employees. According to the Financial Times, which cited persons briefed on the unexpected visit, the police also grabbed computers and phones.

According to Reuters, officials urged China’s largest financial data supplier Wind Information Co last year to stop sending certain data to overseas users.

Authorities began a cybersecurity inquiry into Didi Global two days after it went public in the United States in 2021.

The Great Firewall of China

China’s Great Firewall, also known as the Golden Shield Project, is a name used to characterise the Chinese government’s sophisticated system of internet restriction and surveillance. The Great Firewall is a set of legislative, technological, and administrative regulations that limit and restrict the flow of information online within China.

The Great Firewall’s key goals are to manage the narrative and maintain ideological control within the country, to silence dissenting voices, and to prohibit access to material that the Chinese government considers sensitive or harmful to its interests. To attain these objectives, the system employs a variety of ways, including:

1. Website blocking: Access to international websites and platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is restricted by the Chinese government. This is accomplished through the use of IP blocking, DNS tampering, and keyword screening.

2. Censorship and keyword filtering: The Great Firewall monitors internet traffic and filters out information containing specific sensitive keywords or phrases. This can include political subjects, human rights issues, government criticism, or talks about events like the Tiananmen Square demonstrations.

3. DNS tampering: In China, DNS servers are altered to reroute users attempting to access prohibited websites to alternate sites or to display error messages.

4. Deep packet inspection: The Great Firewall inspects the content of data packets sent over the internet using deep packet inspection (DPI) technology. The government can use this to detect and prohibit specific types of traffic, such as VPN connections and encrypted communications.

5. Censorship of social media and messaging apps: Chinese social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and QQ are tightly watched and regulated. Politically sensitive or critical of the government content is frequently removed, and accounts might be suspended or banned.

6. Internet monitoring: The Chinese government uses a massive surveillance apparatus to monitor online activities and identify individuals who are involved in illegal content or debates. Monitoring includes internet discussions, social media posts, and even private communications.

7. VPN restrictions: While virtual private networks (VPNs) can assist in bypassing censorship and accessing prohibited websites, the Chinese government has taken steps to limit their use. Many VPN services are restricted in China or require official approval to operate.

It’s crucial to remember that the Great Firewall is a living, breathing system. The Chinese government is constantly updating its censoring techniques and adapting to new technology and methods that internet users employ to circumvent limitations. The Great Firewall’s level of censorship and efficacy might vary depending on factors such as geographical location, time, and the precise content being viewed.