Computer Security Urged to Be TightenedMore needs to be done to ensure China's computer systems are not invaded by hackers and viruses.Security must be tightened up so the country can continue to maintain sustainable economic development, according to government officials. "Problems concerning information security have turned out to be a major obstacle in the development of the national economy," said Xu Guanhua, vice-minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Since the late 1980s, problems such as the hackers and computer viruses have hampered the development of many industrial sectors in the world. "More efforts should be put into the sector," said Xu. He was speaking in Beijing at the launch of a new website focusing on information security problems. Developed by the China National Information Security Testing Evaluation and Certification Centre and Shanghai Kingnet Security Technology Development Inc, the website - www.chinafirst.org.cn - is said to be the first Internet site in China concentrating on information security. The word "FIRST" in the website's name stands for "forum of incident response and security teams." "We are dedicated to building up a website to arouse more people's awareness of the issue and exchange ideas on how to solve the problems surrounding information security," said Luo Jianzhong, deputy director of the security centre. With the fast development of China's information technology industry, problems concerning security may become worse and more rampant, if not properly handled, he said. "We aim to build the site into the largest one of its kind in the country," Xu added. Services provided on the non-profit-making site include basic knowledge of information security, related laws and regulations, loopholes in some network and software systems, and software downloading. The website also provides a series of comprehensive safety solutions for firms in different sectors such as securities, finance and trade. "Offering a place for industry experts, professionals and Internet surfers to exchange their ideas will be the most outstanding character of our website," said Zou Chun, president of the Shanghai Kingnet Security Technology Development Inc. He Dequan, director of the Science and Technology Commission of the Ministry of State Security, said, "It is meaningful for us to establish this kind of forum." He said it was common around the world for countries to set up their own forums to try to solve computer problems. "The new website will help develop China's information security system," he added. |
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