Cybersecurity is related to national security and social stability, as well as the vital interests of the people. In recent years, China has solidly promoted key work such as key information infrastructure security protection, network data security management, and artificial intelligence security governance, comprehensively strengthened the network security guarantee system and capacity building, and achieved significant results in the integrated development of network security technology and industry. Realize stable growth of the market At present, with the accelerated evolution of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum communication, 6G, satellite Internet, etc., the underlying logic and industrial boundaries of network security are being redefined. At the same time, the governance system continues to develop towards scale, refinement, and effectiveness, effectively stimulating the endogenous driving force of the industry. The digital and intelligent transformation of the manufacturing industry is accelerating, promoting the transformation of industrial safety protection concepts from passive defense to active defense and intelligent protection systems. ”Yao Xiangzhen from the Network Security Research Center of China Electronics Standardization Institute introduced that the rise of new business models such as low altitude economy and commercial aerospace has given rise to new demands for network security, such as high reliability wireless communication encryption and in orbit asset security protection. According to international consulting firm Gartner, the global cybersecurity market will reach $216.8 billion in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 12.3%. International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that the size of China's network security market will grow from $11.2 billion in 2024 to $17.8 billion in 2029, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 9.7%. In 2024, the scale of China's internet market will remain stable, and the industry will enter a cyclical adjustment stage. The industry is expanding from a simple market scale to a high-quality and sustainable stage of development. ”In Yao Xiangzhen's view, with the acceleration of digital transformation, increasingly improved policies and regulations, and the empowerment of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the cybersecurity industry will maintain strong resilience and growth potential in the medium and long term. The "Global Cybersecurity Spending Guide" released by IDC shows that the total investment in global cybersecurity IT (information technology) will be $244.4 billion in 2024, and is expected to increase to $416.2 billion in 2029, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 11.2%. The international market space and prospects of the cybersecurity industry are vast. ”Li Xueying, Chairman of Tianrongxin Technology Group, believes that after 30 years of localized development, China's cybersecurity industry has a solid product and technological foundation. At a time when the demand for network security is rapidly increasing in the global development of digital intelligence, it is timely to promote the internationalization of China's network security industry. Li Xueying suggests actively participating in the formulation of international standards, breaking through technical barriers, and enhancing the international reputation of China's cybersecurity industry; Leading domestic advantageous technology solutions to become international standards, building market competitive advantages in new fields such as cryptography, intelligent driving safety, and artificial intelligence security governance; Promote standard compatibility and achieve mutual recognition of qualifications. In recent years, China has comprehensively promoted the construction of the network security standard system, the development of key standards, and the coordination of international standards. Multiple standards have been developed in the fields of network security product interconnection framework, software supply chain security requirements, network resilience evaluation criteria, data classification and grading rules, which effectively support the healthy and orderly development of the network security industry. The guiding role of standards in the security governance of emerging technologies is increasingly prominent. For example, the AI security standard system provides compliance baselines and technical references. In the future, standards will play a more important role in strengthening cybersecurity barriers and leading industrial development. ”Yao Xiangzhen said. Without strong network security enterprises, it is impossible to form a strong network security industry by strengthening the collaborative research and development of the industrial chain. From 2020 to 2024, the overall number of new enterprises in China's network security field has shown an increasing trend. As of June 2025, there are a total of 30 publicly listed network security companies. We selected 24 of them as samples for analysis. From the perspective of business broadcasting, 12 companies achieved positive growth in 2024, and 17 companies had R&D investment accounting for more than 20% of their revenue. ”Yao Xiangzhen observed that due to multiple factors, many leading cybersecurity companies have chosen to tighten their strategic business. With the increase of new entrants in the market, the market share of the top 4 and top 8 companies in China's network security market will decrease in 2024; The market share of waist enterprises has slightly increased, while the market share of small and medium-sized enterprises has significantly increased. It is expected that the market will continue to maintain this stable competitive state in the next 2 to 3 years. Currently, with the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, the demand for network security is accelerating from "compliance driven" to "risk driven". This is not only the main direction of industrial development, but also an inevitable choice to cope with complex network environments. Yang Jianwen, Deputy Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, believes that in this context, there is a need for "tripartite linkage and joint efforts". The industry regulatory authorities should provide support for industrial transformation, provide a better policy environment for online information enterprises, and promote high-quality development of the industry; Top enterprises need to shoulder the responsibility of tackling technological bottlenecks, focus on key areas such as chips, and collaborate with universities and institutions to create innovative consortia, accelerate the research and development of independently controllable security chips to break through monopolies, and help small and medium-sized enterprises improve their security capabilities through "mentoring"; Industry associations should play a bridging role by building a network security talent pool and establishing a threat intelligence sharing mechanism to optimize collaborative communication mechanisms. In addition, we need to build a safe and reliable supply chain, focusing on key areas such as integrated circuits, basic software, artificial intelligence, and quantum information, strengthening collaborative innovation in the industrial chain, relying on the advantages of China's super large market, and building independent ecosystems such as software and open source code. In recent years, with the rapid development of network protection systems based on large models, enterprises have increased their deployment of artificial intelligence technology to improve the efficiency of security operations. Yao Xiangzhen introduced that for example, Qianxin has launched the QAX-GPT safety robot system, Shenxin has released the safety GPT big model, and Anheng Information has deployed the Hengnao safety vertical domain big model, all of which use AI to improve safety operation efficiency. The Hengnao 3.0 version introduces multimodal technology to effectively process information such as speech, text, and images. With the help of MCP (Model Context Protocol) and other technologies, it enhances the capabilities of AI agents in tool usage, data access, and information processing, enabling them to better adapt to complex and changing security environments and efficiently complete various security tasks. ”Fan Yuan, Chairman of Anheng Information Technology Co., Ltd., told reporters that Hengnao has been applied in nearly 100 units in more than 10 industries, creating over 500 types of security intelligent agents, involving multiple fields such as alarm analysis, event investigation, linkage disposal, and penetration testing. The application of AI in various specific scenarios has attracted much attention from the industry, and the landing of the industry continues to accelerate. Tang Xu, General Manager of the Operator Business Unit of Green Alliance Technology Group, introduced that in real network attack and defense exercise scenarios, attackers use AI to accurately exploit vulnerabilities and improve attack efficiency; The defense team utilizes a large model to achieve intelligent threat recognition, automated response, and repair, compressing the defense window from the hourly level to the minute level. AI is reshaping the security landscape, and only by focusing on practical combat and continuously promoting the construction of intelligent security defense systems can we take the initiative in the increasingly complex network attack and defense battles. ”New technologies such as artificial intelligence, as strategic technologies leading a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, are profoundly changing the way humans produce and live. While bringing unprecedented development opportunities, they also bring new risks and challenges. Yao Xiangzhen analyzed that the ability of large models may be maliciously exploited, giving rise to new attack methods such as realistic phishing attacks and automated vulnerability mining. And the large model itself also faces problems such as data poisoning and sensitive information leakage. All of these will endanger personal privacy and data assets, and have an impact on critical information infrastructure and social trust systems. In the view of Han Yonggang, Vice President of Qianxin Group, artificial intelligence is profoundly changing the offensive and defensive situation of network security. It is not only a defense weapon, but also brings new threats. The comprehensive application of big models and intelligent agents will inject innovative momentum into the industry and promote its transformation from labor-intensive to intelligence intensive. However, single point technological empowerment cannot build systematic defense capabilities. Instead, an endogenous security system should be established to integrate AI capabilities into security management, practical operations, and digital environments. Through global coordination, deep defense, and systematic confrontation, AI can truly maximize its effectiveness and build a strong defense line in the digital age. Experts suggest that we should deeply explore the capabilities of "artificial intelligence+network security", innovate and develop AI security products and operational services, continuously improve the automation and intelligence level of monitoring risks and security protection, and achieve the transformation from human screen to machine screen mode. Carry out AI enabled network security testing activities, leading and driving the rapid development and innovative application of AI technology in the field of network security. (New Society)