In stark contrast to China's rapidly developing internet of things (IoT) industry, little attention is being given to IoT information security, which could potentially threaten national security, said Liu Haitao, an official from Jiangsu Internet of Things Information Security Laboratory.

Liu made the remarks at a high-level forum on information security during the ongoing 2019 World Internet of Things Expo in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Sept 8.

He argued that most tech firms are ignorant of the risks to network security when developing IoT technologies, leaving terminals vulnerable to hackers.

A key forum on information security is held during the ongoing 2019 World Internet of Things Expo in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Sept 8. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Responding to some of the points raised, Gong Zhi, vice-president of Nsfocus Information Technology Co, suggested that more should be done to train industry professionals, not just in the IoT industry, but throughout the whole spectrum of industries impacted by internet risks and network security.

"We have reached partnerships with more than 20 universities across the country to jointly build laboratories for IoT research and development, as well as a foundation to support university cyberspace security projects," said Gong.

The forum, which has been held for the past three years, aims to serve as a talking shop for industry experts and academic researchers to share know-how and the latest developments and technologies in network security.

Over 1,000 leading industry figures from China and abroad attended this year's event.

Liu Haitao, an official from Jiangsu Internet of Things Information Security Laboratory addresses the forum in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Sept 8. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]