New Rules for Chinese Military to Guard Against US Cyber Attacks

New rules on confidentially will be introduced in the Chinese military to guard against cyber-attacks largely originating from the United States.

President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, recently signed an order to publish the new military confidentiality regulation, which will come into force on March 1, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported on Wednesday.

It aims to effectively deal with the current grim situation in confidentiality work, use innovations in management of carriers of military secrets and focus on the confidentiality of information network systems and smart electronic devices, according to the report.

The US government and relevant departments have engaged in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber theft, tapping and surveillance of foreign governments, businesses and individuals, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at a daily briefing on Monday.

Most cyberattacks against Chinese networks in 2018 came from the US, according to a report by China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team published in June 2019. The regulation is aimed at securing key fields including major military events, publicity work, military-civilian integration, international military cooperation and weapons and equipment.

"The confidentiality work of the military, particularly in terms of cybersecurity, is very important at a time when China and the US are in the midst of increasingly intense strategic games," Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the PLA in Beijing, was quoted as saying by Global Times on Wednesday.

“Some electronic information facilities remain relatively vulnerable and may cause leaks of secrets if not used with caution. Imported hardware and components may have backdoor programs,” Li added.