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Source: Global Times

Hong Kong's Asia Weekly, July 29, article, original title: China escapes cyber catastrophe, self-developed software avoids Microsoft's downtime disaster Microsoft computers around the world suffered the largest-scale outage in history, with nearly 10 million devices paralyzed, cloud services suspended, a large number of flights canceled, and hospitals, banks, and police hotlines suspended. However, China, with its own independently developed network ecosystem and independent operating systems such as Hongmeng and Open Kylin replacing Microsoft, was not affected by this global network catastrophe, highlighting the security value brought by technological independence.

The culprit of this incident, Zhongji, has a history of negligence and poor performance in the past, but is still popular in the market. The incident has awakened people from all walks of life to reflect on the urgent need to reduce the risk of over-reliance on a single company under oligopoly. Compared with the problem of oligopoly of science and technology companies faced by the West, China has increasingly emphasized the development of domestically developed information technology products in recent years. Not only has it successively launched independent operating systems such as Hongmeng and Open Kylin, but companies such as Sangfor, Venustech, and Qi'anxin engaged in network security have risen one after another. Many government agencies and corporate procurement procedures are said to have excluded foreign software operating systems and database software. The relevant practices have formed an ecology that is very different from that of foreign countries for Chinese Internet and computer users, and their experiences when facing major network security incidents are also completely different.

According to supply chain risk management company Interros, more than 670,000 companies were directly affected by the massive Microsoft computer outage, of which more than 40% were located in the United States and nearly 30% were in Europe.

The impact on mainland China in this incident was very minor, and was limited to foreign-funded companies or international hotels. Various public services basically did not encounter any obstacles. Beijing Qi'anxin Technology Co., Ltd., which focuses on corporate network security business, analyzed in its analysis report that the reason why this incident had little impact on China is that the local and foreign security software ecosystems are isolated to a certain extent, and most users use domestic security software. Qi'anxin used this incident to remind users to choose security vendors with strength and credit endorsement, especially in the current complex international environment, giving priority to domestic capable vendors, and stated that localization should be continuously promoted. Security software tool platforms have special influences and significance like operating systems, and must ensure autonomy and control.

The BBC report also believed that China "escaped a disaster" mainly because Chinese institutions rarely purchase security software from American companies, and even cloud services do not rely too much on Microsoft, but prefer domestic products.

Zhongji has previously claimed to have found evidence of China's cyberattacks against the United States, and has assisted in investigating the "Russiagate" scandal. This reputation has made it a leader in the cybersecurity industry, but it is ironic that it has become the culprit that caused many companies' computers to shut down. In the minds of European and American users, the question of whether they can continue to trust Zhongji has probably already been answered.

In the past few years, Western governments have successively banned the use of equipment and technology from Chinese telecommunications companies such as Huawei. At the beginning of the year, China also announced that it would require the purchase of domestic microprocessor products. Putting aside political considerations, these practices are intended to prevent the above risks. (Author Lin Zhiwen)