By CGTN's Cui Huiao

More than 3,000 Internet professionals from the government, the private sector and academia gathered at the 2017 China Cyber Security Conference and Exposition in Beijing on Tuesday. 

How to stop cyber criminals from striking was one of the hottest topics discussed at the event.

To combat cyber crime, China's first security threat intelligence company Threatbook has discovered how to track zombie networks and generate real-time indicators of compromise to help enterprises detect and respond to the potential hacks. 

While improving detection and defense capabilities is crucial, another industry expert says lack of awareness of cyber security is the bigger problem. 

CGTN Photo‍

Tang Wei, CMO of anti-virus software company Rising, says, “A lot of individual users and enterprises have this idea that cyber security is a remote and irrelevant topic to them. In fact, most industry insiders believe ransomware attacks are just the beginning."

"Cyber attacks can turn devices into weapons, with some having the ability to seamlessly hack into one's computer and steal information, and even destroy the Internet of Things, causing chaos such as power failure, water supply disruptions and traffic breakdown,” he cautioned.

Tang says the key to combat cyber attacks is to establish a comprehensive security structure, including building firewall infrastructure in companies, installing anti-virus software on individual computers, and better enforcement of cyber security laws.‍