The Zhongguancun Administrative Committee launched the third round of investigations on frontier innovation technology enterprises on March 22. Officials of the administrative committee and the media visited two technology companies, Winicssec and Wenge Group.

Industrial security products provide security for the national industrial network, and the big data intelligent computing engine offers services and solutions of big data systems for the government, media, and enterprises. Both products play important roles in public safety.

A technician is demonstrating the operating principle of Winicssec Industrial Security Control System. [Photo by Ling Xiao/China Daily]

"Entering our program into the system via a USB flash drive can immediately stop the spreading and invasion of viruses."

In 2010, the seismogenic virus developed by the United States and Israeli intelligence agencies damaged over 1,000 Iranian centrifuges. In 2016, the national grid of Ukraine suffered from the attack of "Macro Virus", and one city was powered off for four hours. In 2018, TSMC was attacked by a blackmail virus which caused them to suffer a loss of 1.74 billion yuan ($259.31 million).

The safety of industrial control is related to the national economy and the people's livelihood. Once some key information infrastructures are destroyed, the consequences are unimaginable.

In 2014, Winicssec entered the R&D process as the first batch of industrial safety companies in China. In 2015, it launched the first industrial-grade firewall in China. After four years of development, the company has become a leading force in the field of industrial safety control, which is far ahead of other enterprises in terms of the scale, sales figures, market coverage and the length of product line.

"The blackmail virus came into public knowledge in 2017. But in as early as January 2016, Winicssec successfully intercepted the virus, and started doing some industrial safety control work for national conferences."

Unlike big data security, voice security and other safety control fields, people with single knowledge structure can get started easily. Personnel engaging in security control of the industrial system must integrate automation and network security, and understand the operation process of automation companies such as Schneider and Siemens.

Therefore, there is a high demand for the knowledge background of R&D personnel. Winicssec's team is technology-centered and over 70 percent of its staff are engaged in research and development.

By implanting a protection program, Winicssec can stop the transmission of viruses.[Photos by Ling Xiao/China Daily]

The original industrial control network was closed, but with the integration of information technology and industrialization, the network was opened vertically. Once a small point of the network was attacked, it would cause extensive damage.

Especially for the food and pharmaceutical industries, a tiny virus can disrupt the recipe and the operating process.

Responsible for the security of the industrial control systems of such key infrastructures as Beijing Subway, Beijing Gas, and Beijing Thermal, Winicssec's security methods generally include penetration test and simulated attacks. If one attack succeeds, it will block that penetration channel in the system.

"Many workers in the industrial safety control field are unsung heroes, who silently safeguard our country and society. To guarantee the security of hydropower and wind power plants, many technical implementers must stay in desolate areas for several months, and use the little signal in their phones to send feedback to the headquarters."

Representatives of Winicssec mentioned that, it is hoped that the country can set up special projects on industrial internet security in the future, and encourage enterprises to build laboratories, transform achievements, realize industrialization and carry out technological research and development.

Besides, Winicssec also expressed their welcoming of unmanned factories, pharmaceutical manufacturing companies and other enterprises in Zhongguancun to connect with it at any time.

Wenge Group was established in 2017, two years earlier than that of Winicssec. Subordinate to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wenge Group was set up by the research team of the Internet Big Data Research Center of the CAS Institute of Automation. Currently, it has completed the financing of nearly 200 million yuan.

Members of the founding team are doctors and researchers at CAS, and the chief scientist Zeng Dajun is a selectee of the "CAS 100-Talent Program" and the "10,000-Talent Program of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee".

He was also elected as a fellow of IEEE and AAAS. The group’s core team members all hold doctoral and master's degrees from renowned universities at home and abroad.

Currently, Wenge Group has formed seven products and solutions for the media, government, public opinion and police service.

These seven products include the "Wenhai" multi-language big data platform that provides basic data services, the "Wenge" pan-media application center that offers industry analysis services, and the "Wensi" multi-language data analysis service for the application layer.

Among them, the "Wenge" pan-media application center includes five products, namely: the "Yayi" semantic analysis component that provides semantic understanding analysis, the "Yunji" monitoring and evaluation system that provides transmission, monitoring and tracking of information, the "Yunyong" visualization analysis system for convergence media, the "Tiandun" big data analysis system designed for police affairs, and the "Qingtian" multi-language public opinion monitoring and analysis system.

With investigations of the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee to be continued, the committee will conduct more on-site investigations and interviews for sci-tech firms.