Chinese experts are calling for the government to establish a cyber security force to combat Internet-based financial crimes, information warfare and terrorist activities.

A network information security system must be established and optimized to protect the networks and deal with emergencies, He Dequan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told Outlook Weekly magazine.

Qu Yanwen, security director of the National Golden-Card Project Office, said a special force composed of representatives from the armed forces, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Public Security and industrial security technicians should be established for information warfare.

In the meantime, the special force will also be responsible for protecting public and private sector software and hardware facilities, monitoring online content, and preparing for cyber-based emergencies.

To fulfil that task, a national cyber security infrastructure must first be established, said Qu.

The infrastructure will include a management centre for important national information including security emergency response data, backups, and security certifying organizations.

Legal guidelines for cyber security are also required, along with an assessment system, said Qu.

After years of continuous effort China has established a network infrastructure of 12 critical systems, including those for economy, science and technology, banks, railways, civil aviation and customs.

Sales of personal computers have surpassed 10 million units, and more than 200,000 Chinese enterprises are doing their business on the Internet.

But experts pointed out that our capability of network security lags far behind the development of the information systems, and many systems are completely vulnerable to attack.

According to the National University of Defence Technology, 95 per cent of network management centres connected with the Internet have been attacked or invaded by domestic or foreign hackers. Banks, securities and other financial institutions are major targets.

The spreading of rumours, pornographic information and gambling on the Internet are other problems that could harm social stability, experts said.

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