Russia’s Kaspersky Lab and China’s Zhongguo Wangan have signed a cooperation agreement during the second World Internet Conference, head of the Russian company, Evgeny Kaspersky told TASS on the fringes of the event.
“China is paying much attention to cyber security and structures partnership with companies working in this sphere,” he said. “At the same time, they are looking for companies with good expertise.”
Deficit of own software
Evgeny Kaspersky said China does not have software which could guarantee protection from cyber threats.
“Presently, China does not have quality software, protecting from cyber-attacks, thus we are ready for cooperation,” he said. “At the state levels, we have been cooperating with Latin American and European countries, with the Middle East and with Asian countries. In the business sphere, our geography of clients is even wider.”
“Till recently, in China we have been well represented in the medium and small businesses, though for historical reasons we are less represented at the state level and in state-run companies,” he continued. “State regulation is respected in China, and it was next to impossible to access major Chinese companies. Now the situation is changing, and we are ready for it.”
Threat of cyber terror
China, like other countries, is facing problems of cyber security.
“Digital technologies are universal: similar hardware, similar hackers and cyber criminals,” head of the Russian company said. Attacks on industrial facilities are only growing, he added.
“Luckily, those are only criminal attacks as yet, but in future cyber terrorists will appear,” he said. “Their tasks would be not just to steal something or to smuggle drugs, those would be more dangerous threats, which all countries are facing.”
The Kaspersky Lab has big experience in cooperation of the kind with other countries, thus the company is ready to cooperate with the Chinese government.
Zhongguo Wangan is a division of CETC state-run corporation, working in various sectors.
“The corporation is working in electronics in the industry, in transport, energy, machinery, radars, in cyber projects and in other directions,” head of the Russian company said. “It is a big company with a staff of about 80,000.”
“We have signed a cooperation agreement, and I hope it will be long-term and very extensive,” he added.
The second World Internet Conference in Wuzhen has a theme “An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by All – Building a Community of Shared Future in Cyberspace.” The event will continue its work to December 18; it is expected to attract about 2,000 experts from 120 countries.