The Reverse Great Firewall: How China is Blocking the World
A new study conceptualizes the “Reverse Great Firewall,” a significant shift in China’s cybersecurity posture. While the original Great Firewall restricted domestic access to the global internet, this new strategy focuses on geo-blocking foreign access to Chinese government websites. Researchers tested over 13,500 official sites from 14 countries, finding that more than half were inaccessible from abroad. About 10% showed explicit, indiscriminate blocking via server-side or DNS techniques, driven by decentralized responses to top-down cybersecurity pressures aimed at preventing foreign data aggregation and open-source intelligence gathering.
Why it might matter to you: This research highlights an evolving threat intelligence landscape where nation-states are actively restricting external visibility into their digital infrastructure. For cybersecurity professionals focused on global threat assessment and vulnerability analysis, this practice complicates open-source intelligence (OSINT) gathering and incident response for multinational entities. Understanding these geo-blocking logics is crucial for developing more sophisticated penetration testing and red teaming strategies that account for state-level information controls.
Source →Stay curious. Stay informed — with Science Briefing.
Always double check the original article for accuracy.