As the next generation of information technology is driving the digital transformation, data has become a key asset in the digital economy as well as a new target for hackers. [Photo/VCG]

With the boom in digital economy, government and companies need to enhance their cybersecurity in the wake of mounting threats to online data, said Wu Yunkun, president of a leading Chinese security company Qi An Xin Group.

"As the next generation of information technology is driving the digital transformation, data has become a key asset in the digital economy as well as a new target for hackers,"Wu said during the second Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, Fujian province.

The event opened on Monday and ended on Wednesday.

"The digital transformation, especially the application of artificial intelligence and other new technologies, also brings opportunities in the field of cybersecurity,"Wu said. " More efforts are needed to construct a comprehensive defense system at the early age of informatization, build the situational awareness systems, threat intelligence analysis and security operation platforms."

Wu said there will be a need for more professionals in the industry, and China will continue to increase its spending to combat internet crimes and attacks.

China's digital economy accounted for 34.8 percent of its gross domestic product in 2018, remaining a key pivot for the country's economic growth, a new report said.

Released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, the report shows that the internet-based digital economy rose to 31.3 trillion yuan ($4.6 trillion) last year, up by 20.9 percent year-on-year.

Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said big data will bring both opportunities and challenges.

Wu noted such huge amounts of data can also bring forth new security issues, making big data security a new concern for users.

"However, big data also can help us prevent risks and solve security problems. Driven by big data analysis, we will be able to determine the cyberattack behaviors and alert the suspicious behavior beyond the baseline."

"We need to combine big data, artificial intelligence, internet of things and other technologies to enhance the safety." Wu added.