Cybersecurity has been a major topic during this year's Two Sessions. The rapid advancement of technology has raised concerns about the risks introduced through 5G, big data and emerging high tech gadgets. CGTN discussed these issues with Zhou Hongyi, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of the internet security giant Qihoo 360 Technology.

CGTN: Many areas in China are building new smart cities, but there is a lack of urban network security infrastructure. How do you think this problem can be solved?

Zhou: This is a very good question. I think we should have a full understanding of the security threats caused by the new generation of smart cities. The biggest challenge is the possibility of a cyber-attack and its impact on the city's social order. Therefore, we should create an overall security system, and build a platform based on big data analysis. The core security infrastructure, I think, is the key to solve security issues in smart cities. We can also design the network security in smart cities to become part of the public service sector through the sustainable operation of a security experts' team. In that way, we can better deal with potential cyber threats facing the smart cities in the future."

CGTN: Smart cars have always been a major topic of interest for you. What new suggestions do you have this year for enhancing the network security of smart cars?

 Zhou: In my opinion, a smart car is like a super mobile phone on four wheels. The whole car is composed of a lot of software codes. All smart cars are connected to the cloud server to receive instructions and update software. This gives us more convenience and intelligent functions compared to traditional cars. But at the same time, there is a major danger, especially if the car is remotely controlled. There might be casualties and heavy property losses. I strongly suggest that we should pay attention to safety in the intelligent automobile industry. This is a very important aspect of my proposal this year – the protection of the network security of smart cars. It should be as important as other standard configurations like airbag and seat belt. I also mentioned another point in my proposal. There are dozens of sensors and cameras in smart cars that can collect a large amount of data, which may not only be personal privacy data, but also lots of public data. If the car does not have the ability to protect this data, and the information is leaked or misused, it may cause serious problems for national security, social security and personal privacy disclosure.

CGTN: You also pay great attention to the special talents in the network security industry. How can they better contribute to maintaining the national network security?

Zhou: In the cybersecurity sector, there are many highly-talented people, but many of them have been stigmatized, because the word "hacker" seems to have developed a negative connotation. In fact, many hackers are really good. We call them "white hat hackers." I want to say that we need to promote network talents and high-level verified security personnel. I put forward a proposal to offer these talented professionals support and acknowledge their special ability.