Chinese hackers break into Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari in competition
Tianfu Cup brings together China’s best hackers, who excelled in overseas hacking competitions like Pwn2Own
Qihoo 360, China’s biggest cybersecurity firm, wants to become China’s cyberwarfare defender
Just like Pwn2Own, the rules are simple. Researchers pick from targets preselected by the organizers. On contest day, participants use the exploits they’ve prepared to attack any vulnerabilities they discover. If they succeed in gaining control of their target, they win.
Competitions like this play an important role in improving cybersecurity. White hat hackers -- people who work with companies to patch security loopholes -- participate to find and expose bugs before they’re discovered by malicious actors.
China’s hackers used to sweep prizes at international hacking contests. But since last year, they have been discouraged by the government from attending them, according to Chaitin Technology. The Chinese cybersecurity firm said it would instead shift its focus to “building a more secure cyberspace in China.”
Despite the government directive, Chinese security researchers have been credited with helping American companies uncover flaws in their systems.
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