Chinese cybersecurity firm links US sanctions to its role in uncovering hackers targeting China

[Victor M]

Content source

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinese-cybersecurity-firm-links-us-093000855.html

Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 Security Technology has helped Beijing uncover 54 "overseas, state-level" hacking groups, including operatives from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA), according to its founder and chairman Zhou Hongyi.

Speaking at the firm's Internet Security and AI Conference on Wednesday, Zhou claimed that its discovery of CIA and NSA hacking programmes targeting China, which had existed for over a decade, was a key reason for his company being sanctioned by Washington. Better known as Qihoo 360, the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange from 2011 to 2016.

"We are being sanctioned by the US because Americans ... see 360 as a threat," Zhou said.

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Yahoo Finance doesn't take sides. We can complain about Volt Typhoon hacking our telecoms. But here is China's perspective - we have been hacking them too. Interesting capabilities of Qihoo 360, I wonder if it is incorporated into their AV. Not that I will buy a Chinese security product anytime soon.

 

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"We are being sanctioned by the US because Americans ... see 360 as a threat," Zhou said.

"Americans?"

I bet most Americans never heard of 360 Security Technology or 360 Qihoo.

"Threat?"

Not confident this assessment is correct.

 

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"Americans?"

I bet most Americans never heard of 360 Security Technology or 360 Qihoo.

"Threat?"

Not confident this assessment is correct.

Even though most people in the U.S. probably haven't heard of Qihoo 360, there are some serious, well-documented reasons why they're considered a threat.

For starters, the U.S. government put the company on its official 'Entity List' over national security concerns, linking them to China's surveillance programs. It's not just the government, either. Independent security labs have a history of issues with them, their software doesn't score well in malware detection, and they've even been caught in controversies over cheating on tests.

The biggest red flag though, is the privacy aspect. Chinese law can force the company to hand over user data to the government. When you combine the official sanctions, poor test results, and huge privacy risks, it's pretty clear why many experts advise against using their software.

 

[Victor M]

"Americans?"

I bet most Americans never heard of 360 Security Technology or 360 Qihoo.

"Threat?"

Not confident this assessment is correct.

No, I think the 360 CEO was referring to the episode where they uncovered CIA and NSA hacking of Chinese assets. Thus he thinks the US sanctions were related to it, so I think he means that they were a threat to CIA and NSA operations.

 

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For starters, the U.S. government put the company on its official 'Entity List' over national security concerns, linking them to China's surveillance programs.

As a matter of Chinese CCP law, any company must agree to participate in the Chinese intelligence apparatus as the security services request or direct.

Generally speaking, all of Communist China is a threat.