China’s cabinet urges greater cybersecurity after mass data leak

Questions remain about how the unknown hackers apparently gained access to the trove run by the Ministry of Public Security’s Shanghai branch, which according to online posts included data detailing user activity from most popular Chinese apps, addresses, and phone numbers. — Dreamstime/TNS

China’s cabinet stressed the need to bolster information security, following a huge leak of personal data that could be the largest cyberattack in the country’s history.

A State Council meeting led by Premier Li Keqiang emphasised the need “to improve security management provisions, raise protection abilities, protect personal information, privacy and commercial confidentiality in accordance with the law”, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The report didn’t directly reference the hack, and other state media agencies have so far been silent about the incident.