Cybersecurity gurus bolster online integrity

Interest drives studies

He initially looked for ready-made software, but after finding some programs that were riddled with viruses, he decided to study computer languages and create similar works himself.

"It was the first time I realized that online services and products had vulnerabilities that might be used by someone to achieve a goal or even pose risks to cybersecurity," Bai said.

As his interest in computers grew, his basic knowledge could not meet his needs.

So, with his parents' support, the native of Shiyan, Hubei province, attended a computer workshop during the summer vacation when he was in the second grade of middle school.

At the workshop, he learned how to make webpages and build network systems. "But what impressed me most was our teacher's master key that could unlock all the students' online accounts," he said. "Before that, I thought a password only corresponded to one account."

The master key aroused the young man's curiosity. After discovering that it was a systematic and professional field that required a deep understanding of computers and the internet and was far harder than writing programs to cheat at games, his motivation to learn was stirred once again.

Regarding his interest as the best driver for his studies, he chose computer science as his university major and joined the cybersecurity team to represent the school at relevant competitions.

In his sophomore year, he decided to change his major. He joined the university's School of Cyberspace Security, established in 2016.

"The frequent competitions made me realize that I was more interested in the security field. My greatest sense of achievement lay in digging out network vulnerabilities and fixing them," he said.