Why VPNs are a Necessity for Mainland China Business

You will have to make sure you cover every single base when securing your data and network while working or doing business in Mainland China. Just because everyone is smiling at you, and they are all being over-friendly, does not mean all those around you have your best interests at heart. Whether it is one of the 3 at any time-government watchers keeping an eye on you, as they do every foreigner that enters the country, or it is a computer support, computer networking, computer repairs or other specialist to set you up right, who actually sets you right up, you have to constantly think outside the box. Here is a look at the correct approach to networking security and office security in Mainland China.

• The Real Risk of Being in China. Don’t forget, in China, you can be arrested and held with out explanation if you are suspected of espionage – that means, every single foreigner can be arrested and held without explanation at any time. Just like the Australian Steven Hu, Rio Tinto Australia, Shanghai boss was in 2009. When arrested expect to be locked into a chair by the ankles, knees and wrists in underground mini-court-styled room, and pushed, asked, and basically forced into signing your statement written by the Police in Chinese before anything else happens. It will be a hungry few first days. In the end, which will come much later than you think, you will sign just to move on, or even to get a meal of stinky rice and oily cabbage. By local Chinese law, our passport can be held by police and prosecutors (known as procturates; detective-prosecutors) for 365 days before they need to notify your embassy of your situation. These two laws are the cold hard reality of living and working in China. Accept it, and try to put it out of your mind.

• Start at Basics. Basically you have to do all this yourself in private. The key is to setup and prepare, and install with a minimum of fuss. Never have any security devices delivered to your home or office after you have created them yourself – yes, as I said a little DIY. DIY is so important in Mainland China, to maintain real security levels. Never let anyone know you have a Windows terminal emulator application running through VPN to a client’s mainframe, for example. You will become prized target because of the important information being transmitted.

• You Will Be Monitored. There is no point getting busy about thinking you are the only being watched, but know you will be monitored all the time by many different groups, and that does not mean they will be working together either. Regularly test your home and office for listening and video recording devices. Install your own too. All of these spying tools are available so cheap in China. That might explain why are they are everywhere. Who needs to hack a computer when you can put a high-resolution camera in the ceiling above keyboards and aiming another one at each screen? These are very real issues. Your Internet activities are going to be monitored heavily. So is everyone else’s. That is the norm in Mainland China. It is important to get your head around that if you are going to China. Jam from the start while you do the installation.

All This Feels Heavy. You will get used to it pretty fast. You are lucky you are getting to know this information from the start, instead of having your time wasted like it was someone else’s. Protecting your information when you are operating a business in China is serious business. You are a target for corporate espionage, and your information can make others a lot of money. Be aware of this as you build your Joint Venture. Let the fun and games begin.

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