China cracks down on theft of geographic data, warning of national security threat

Beijing kicks off inspection to eliminate risks following cases involving geographic information systems used in key industries
Chinese spy agency says people and groups with ‘ulterior motives’ have used foreign GIS software to try to steal ‘classified and sensitive’ data

Cybersecurity

Vanessa Caiin Shanghai

Published: 6:01pm, 11 Dec 2023

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China’s security authorities have kicked off a national inspection to crack down on theft of data from geographic information systems, warning that these data leaks pose a threat to national security.

The Ministry of State Security said security authorities are conducting the inspection to cut off perpetrators and guide and assist in investigations to “promptly eliminate security risks of major data theft and data leaks”.

In an article posted to its WeChat account on Monday, the ministry said security organs had found cases in which foreign geographic information system (GIS) software used in important industries had collected and transferred data.

“Some of the data is important and sensitive, and even involves state secrets, posing a serious threat to our national security,” it said, without naming specific GIS software.

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The ministry noted that as information technology advances, GIS data is both “an important strategic data resource” and “a new production factor” that has been widely applied in industry and everyday life.

“However, some organisations and individuals with ulterior motives have made use of GIS software in an attempt to steal classified and sensitive geographic data, posing threats and hidden dangers to national security,” it said.

In recent years, Chinese authorities have stressed the need to tighten control over cybersecurity and have repeatedly highlighted data leaks as one of the growing risks.

Beijing has scaled up its anti-espionage efforts this year, with warnings over the unauthorised acquisition of “documents, data, materials and items related to national security and interests”.

In the Monday article, the ministry noted that “geographic data is classified as high-value intelligence and is a key target for foreign spy agencies in their intelligence theft efforts”.

It said high-precision geographic information could be used to recreate 3D maps related to the country’s transport systems, energy and the military.

This could provide “crucial support for reconnaissance, surveillance and military operations, posing a serious threat to our military security”, it said.

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The article said “certain foreign organisations, institutions, and individuals … are attempting to conduct intelligence theft activities using GIS software” through methods including “automatically connecting the software to foreign servers to collect user data without restrictions”.

It also warned users who use GIS software to identify the coordinates of infrastructure, military targets and entities related to classified information, noting that this “creates serious risks of leaks that could result in irreparable losses”.

Citing China’s Data Security Law, implemented in September 2021 to limit the ways data can be processed, the article urged individuals and companies to choose secure and reliable GIS software when collecting and processing geographical information.

They should also set up strict permission for access in accordance with the level of importance of the data, it said.