China’s cabinet recently announced a massive data leak that affected the personal information of more than 7 million people. After this leak cabinet is stressing on the importance of cybersecurity as this leak has raised concerns regarding the safety of China’s online infrastructure. In response, the government announced its plans to strengthen efforts to protect the personal data of its citizens. These efforts include an improvement in the monitoring of online activity and increased cooperation with foreign governments and companies, as well as advising businesses and individuals to take steps to protect their information.

At a State Council meeting, Premier Li Keqiang emphasised the importance of improving security provisions, raising protection abilities, safeguarding data, and protecting commercial confidentiality as per the law. This report indicates that these measures will allow the public and businesses to operate with peace of mind.

Xinhua did not refer to the breach, nor are other state media agencies reporting on the breach. Unknown hackers recently claimed to have stolen the data of a billion Chinese residents after hacking a Shanghai police database. This supposed theft of more than 23 terabytes of information has led to discussions on potential security gaps. It remains unknown how the hackers gained access to the Minister of Public Security trove, which contained user data on activities on popular Chinese apps, addresses, and phone numbers. There was also a demand for 10 bitcoins worth about $200,000 in exchange for the data.

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– Kelly Lekaise (Candidate Attorney at PPM Attorneys, South Africa)

Edited by – Sabrina Bath