The news about the hacking and leakage of massive confidential data at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin (NSCC) of the Chinese Communist Party has been attracting significant attention recently. According to insiders within the Communist Party system, various ministries have issued strict notices to prevent similar data breaches from occurring again. Employees are now prohibited from bringing any cellphones into office areas and are required to keep terminal devices like printers disconnected from the network.
Insider Shen Hang, who works within the system, revealed that the General Office of the State Council of the Communist Party recently issued several internal regulations. Besides requiring employees to turn off or mute their cellphones before entering office areas and store them in electronic shielding cabinets at the entrance, there is now an additional “double-check” step. Civil servants must self-check for second cellphones to prevent situations where they keep one stored and carry one with them. Communication in office areas is now required to be done through wired telephones.
Mr. Sun, who is from a sensitive core department, confirmed that security levels in diplomatic and defense-related bureaus are even higher. Signal detection devices for mobile phones have been added. He said, “It has been emphasized repeatedly that internal affairs must be conducted in an ‘offline’ mode. Some highly sensitive computers cannot even connect to the internal network and can only operate on completely isolated machines.”
It is reported that various government departments in different regions have begun implementing requirements from the Cyberspace Administration, conducting new rounds of cybersecurity training internally, focusing on identifying phishing emails and restricting VPN usage.
In response to these stringent measures, a retired civil servant told reporters that while security measures have always been in place, the current intensity has significantly increased. He stated, “Ten years ago, there were rules prohibiting the use of Apple phones in offices, which were later relaxed. This time, not only has the ban been reinstated but domestic phones are also included, requiring them to be stored uniformly at the entrance. This shows a heightened alertness among senior officials to ‘moles’ and ‘technical vulnerabilities.'”
Shen Hang further explained that previously, some departments only restricted foreign-branded mobile phones. Now, domestic phones are also considered a source of risk because they use Android systems or proprietary systems, which could still be exploited at the base level by external entities. Combined with the sensor features of mobile phones, it is difficult to completely prevent risks, leading to a complete ban on bringing them in.
Nanjing network engineer Zhu Quan, in an interview, analyzed that the official actions by the Chinese Communist Party are related to the recent leakage incident at the supercomputing center. According to overseas disclosures, the NSCC was suspected of a massive network intrusion, exposing data up to 10PB (approximately 10 million GB), involving missile designs, aerospace, and nuclear fusion simulation core technical data. Although official responses are pending, Zhu Quan believes that with such a large-scale data breach, internal assistance cannot be ruled out.
Zhu Quan stated that the supercomputing center itself has multiple certifications and alarm systems, making external direct breaches challenging. If an employee’s phone is implanted with a program, its camera, microphone, and sensors could be exploited, making it an information collection tool. “Hackers can use the phone as a stepping stone to intervene in the system when personnel access internal data or conduct physical transfers. Even everyday conversations could be pieced together to gather valuable information.”
Currently, the crackdown is not limited to ministries. Governments and telecommunications operators in regions like Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Shaanxi have recently issued notifications, requiring enterprises to report and approve cross-border networking, and initiating a cleanup of “illegal cross-border data lines.”
Zhu Quan indicated that authorities are tightening various external connectivity paths, “They are concerned about vulnerabilities in external VPNs and internal personnel using overseas tools, hence restricting unauthorized cross-border connections in an attempt to minimize data leaks.”
Regarding the above situation, reporters from Dai Epoch tried to contact the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin of the Chinese Communist Party for verification but did not receive a response before the article’s publication.
Some analysts believe that the comprehensive ban on bringing cellphones into office areas is not just an upgrade in security measures but also reflects a noticeable increase in vigilance against data breaches within the Chinese Communist Party.