30 May 2016

News Story: (Chinese) Experts call for better protection of data security

GUIYANG, May 29 (Xinhua) -- With about 13 percent of all online data in the world originating in China, data experts are calling for more to be done to ensure data security.

Big Data, large volumes of data that can be analyzed to reveal patterns, was a hot topic at the "China Big Data Industry Summit & China E-commerce Innovation and Development Summit" in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, with experts underscoring the need to improve data security.

"Big data is a double-edged sword. It can be huge business, but also increases risks," said Qi Xiangdong, president of Qihoo 360, China's leading Internet security service provider.

"You can control your oven and washing machine remotely through your smart phone. However, if someone can gain access to your information on the cloud, they can, for example, make your washing machine operate at its maximum speed and temperature," he said.

China has seen an explosive growth of data in recent years. Its information economy grossed over 18 trillion yuan (about 2.76 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2015, with an e-commerce transaction volume totaling over 20 trillion yuan.

Read the full story at Xinhua