China Information Security Strategy Research

Author: Zhang Qiong, Sun Lunqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Human society has experienced the agricultural society and industrial society and is gradually entering the information society. With the advancement of informatization construction and the improvement of global informatization, society's reliance on information has greatly increased, and information security issues have become increasingly prominent. Western developed countries have entered the information society, with early and extensive research on information security, substantial accumulation, and broad application, forming a relatively comprehensive information security assurance system. China's information security research has gone through two stages—communication confidentiality and computer data protection—and is now entering the stage of network information security research. In the process of accelerating informatization development, we should attach great importance to, conduct in-depth research on, and effectively solve some major information security issues facing the country. This is of great practical significance for ensuring the healthy and steady development of China's national economy and informatization, building a harmonious socialist society, and gradually achieving the development goals of a moderately prosperous society. This is also the original intention and aspiration of the authors for researching this topic and writing this book.
Part of this book provides a theoretical analysis of information security and constructs the basic theoretical framework of the book. The information security discussed in this book belongs to the "non-traditional security" field corresponding to traditional security. Since the 21st century, the importance of information security has been widely recognized and has become a key element of national security systems. Scholars have different descriptions of "non-traditional security," but there is one common point: "non-traditional security" is a "new security." From another perspective, "non-traditional security" threats are a "new threat." Non-traditional security issues are a "general term" used by the West to refer to various security issues and threats in the international community after the Cold War, excluding military security issues. These are transnational issues triggered by non-military and non-political factors that threaten the development, stability, and security of countries, regions, and even the global community. "Non-traditional security" refers to a new understanding of the current state of national and international security and a new field of security research.
The second part of the book analyzes the information security strategies of the United States and their challenges and insights for China. To ensure our own information security, we must comprehensively understand the information security status and strategies of other major information powers, especially the United States. After the "9·11" incident, facing increasingly severe information security challenges, representative political entities such as the United States, the European Union, and Russia have adopted proactive attitudes and formulated and implemented a series of comprehensive information security strategies. U.S. information security policies are expansionary. They have established a national cyber defense system to proactively address information security challenges and are always prepared for information warfare. The United States has taken various proactive measures to implement its expansionary information security strategy. As a developing country, we must recognize the forefront and trends of global development, widely learn from and absorb advanced experiences in information security strategies from countries around the world, especially the United States, and strengthen and improve our own information security strategies in a dynamic development process.
The third part of the book, including Chapters 4 and 5, is the core of the book, focusing on the main issues, strategic choices, and industrial guarantees of China's information security. It conducts an in-depth study of China's information security assurance mechanisms and the main issues it faces, analyzing the main threats to China's information security from six aspects: the basic status of the information security assurance system, networks, core technologies, infrastructure, the information industry, and basic policies. Currently, China's information and network security protection capabilities are weak, many application systems are unsecured, posing significant risks and dangers; there is a lack of effective management and technical transformation of imported information technologies and equipment; the basic information industry is weak, with severe reliance on foreign countries. China's computer manufacturing industry has weak research and development and production capabilities for many core components, and key components are entirely dependent on others. The national information security management agencies lack authority and coordination; information crime is rapidly spreading in China; and the information security awareness of the entire society urgently needs improvement.
From the perspective of network security, the main issues include: first, network security issues, which are particularly prominent in China's information security: severe cases of computer systems being infected and damaged by viruses; cyberattacks have become a major threat; information infrastructure faces challenges from network security; and frequent cyber political subversion activities. Second, issues in the development of core technologies in China include: reliance on imports for core technologies; severe security vulnerabilities; a shortage of core technology talent; and the lack of a scientific and technological innovation system. Third, China's information infrastructure also faces many problems: insufficient depth defense framework for information network security; immature dynamic defense technology models; insufficient attention to information security; the need to improve PKI and PMI (electronic signatures); and many shortcomings in the research and development of information security technology products; and inadequate emergency response measures for network incidents in China.
From the perspective of the information industry, China's information security also faces many problems. Although China's information industry has developed rapidly and achieved significant results, with strong government support, the basic status is "large but not strong." The prominent issues are: weak core industries; dependence on foreign core technologies; and prominent structural contradictions in the industry. The main reasons are: small industry scale and unreasonable structure; relatively backward information technology and weak independent development capabilities; and lagging information resource development and underdeveloped information markets.
From the perspective of government policies, China's information security still has many shortcomings, mainly due to the lack of a comprehensive information security strategy. Based on the analysis and research of the above issues, this book puts forward its own views on the formulation and implementation of China's information security strategy.
1. It is important to emphasize the political guarantee of China's information security strategy.
2. Strengthen theoretical research on information security.
3. Emphasize legal construction and solve information security issues through legislative means. In line with the principles and priorities of China's current information security legislation, quickly improve the information security legal and regulatory system centered on the "Information Security Law."
4. Establish a management guarantee for information security. By analyzing the characteristics of government high-tech industry management competitiveness, propose goals and main conditions to enhance it.
5. Emphasize independent innovation and build China's high-tech independent innovation system.
6. Strive to improve China's information infrastructure.
7. Support the development of the information industry from the perspective of national strategic industries.
8. Establish an international mechanism for China's information security. This book analyzes the necessity, feasibility, and basic principles of establishing an international mechanism for information security.
9. Establish an information security assurance mechanism—emergency response plan. Clarify the level of security protection to be achieved, the conditions and standards required, and the improvement of the information security assurance mechanism. Based on China's actual conditions, specific measures include: strengthening the organization and coordination of emergency response work for information security, studying and formulating China's information security emergency response plan; encouraging social forces to participate in the construction of disaster backup facilities and providing technical services to improve information security emergency response capabilities; strengthening the construction of national information security emergency infrastructure; and planning and coordinating the national disaster backup system to build a regional, same-city or different-city information security disaster backup center to provide centralized and unified disaster backup services for national and Party organs. Establish a sound information security reporting system; and the construction of basic information networks and important information systems should fully consider destructibility and disaster recovery, and formulate and continuously improve the information security emergency response plan.