Chinese cybersecurity firm links US sanctions to its role in uncovering hackers targeting China
- Zhou claimed that the discovery of CIA and NSA hacking programmes targeting China was a key reason for his company being sanctioned by Washington
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.
Zhou, who had a stint as chief executive of Yahoo! China from 2004 to 2005, has portrayed himself as the patriotic face of China’s internet. After the global technology outage last month triggered by US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, Zhou claimed his company’s products were “more reliable, stable, comprehensive and intelligent” than foreign ones.
When citing the firm’s investment in contributing to the country’s cybersecurity, Zhou thanked Chinese consumers for bearing with the pop-up ads on its services, as watching them is actually contributing to China’s “national security”.
China’s foreign ministry did not comment directly on Zhou’s latest comments, but cited an earlier 360 report saying the country was a “victim” in the hacking cases.
