The computer systems of dozens of Chinese government organizations were breached – Risk of exposing the personal data of millions of citizens
According to reports in Chinese media, the personal information of more than 52 million Chinese citizens is at risk, following a massive breach of the computer systems of numerous government organizations in the country.
The sensitive data that has been leaked includes identity numbers, social security numbers, financial information and property details of millions of Chinese citizens.
Researchers at loudong.360.cn report significant security gaps and high-risk vulnerabilities in the computer systems of government agencies and organizations in more than 30 cities in China, such as social security agencies, health ministries, and hospitals.
Security experts say the situation is much more critical than it initially seemed, as the leaked data could be used by cybercriminals to commit credit card fraud, steal identity information, and other sensitive data, while the leak could also pose a threat to the country's national security.
Yan Ming, director of the Third Research Institute, which is under the country's Ministry of Public Security, said:
“It is clear that local government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, have failed miserably in making sufficient investments in infrastructure for adequate oversight in the area of information security.”.
