Experts in Beijing Forum discuss data security governance challenges

Experts gathered at the Data Security Governance and Development Forum in Beijing to discuss the challenges and solutions for safeguarding data in the digital age.

China Flag on the table

Experts at the Data Security Governance and Development Forum, held as part of the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, highlighted the importance of strong data security governance, technological advancements, and regulatory frameworks for the sustainable growth of China’s data industry.

The chief engineer of the Cyberspace Administration of China, Sun Weimin, pointed out the challenges arising from the reliance of major internet companies on government oversight, which led to a lack of internal initiatives for cybersecurity. Weimin claims that this has caused security measures to lag behind internet development. Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Feng Dengguo, highlighted six areas of data security threats, including leakage, damage, unauthorized disclosure, loss of control, misuse, and corruption or loss. Thus, Feng proposed to align with global trends, establish data security laws, and implement practical solutions and standards.

Chair professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Yang Qiang, introduced trustworthy federated learning which aims to utilize data while maintaining confidentiality, as a solution to balance data security and sharing. Lastly, while fines for data breaches may not be high, China’s law enforcement has extensive coverage in this field, a professor from the Beijing Institute of Technology, Hong Yanqing, highlighted.