The Latest in IT Security

By Li Hui and Megha Rajagopalan BEIJING (Reuters) – China will investigate providers of important IT products and services to protect national security and economic and social development, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday, amid a row over cyber spying with the United States. Companies that dont pass the checks will no longer be allowed to supply products and services in China, Xinhua cited the State Internet Information Office as saying. When asked which governments or businesses China is targeting with this move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei declined to directly respond, while defending the measures being taken to vet companies providing IT products and services. The introduction of such a system will be the most effective legal basis for safeguarding Chinas Internet security and will also have a significant role in promoting the construction of China as an Internet powerhouse, he told a news briefing.