Czech Cyber Agency Flags Chinese Tech as "High" Risk to Critical Infrastructure

In a significant escalation of tech sovereignty concerns, the Czech Republic's National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NUKIB) has classified Chinese technology as a "High"-risk threat to critical infrastructure. The directive urges organizations to immediately halt the use of Chinese hardware/software and cease transferring user data to Chinese servers, citing concrete evidence of state-aligned cyber operations.

Escalated Threat Assessment

NUKIB's bulletin marks a pivotal shift, upgrading China's risk rating due to:
- Confirmed APT activity: Direct linkage to China's APT31 group, which recently targeted the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Cloud vulnerabilities: Warning that Chinese laws grant the government unfettered access to data stored in private clouds
- Supply chain risks: Critical dependence on vendors who could remotely manipulate infrastructure via updates

"Technology solution providers can fundamentally influence critical infrastructure operation and access important data," NUKIB emphasized. "Trust in supplier reliability is absolutely crucial."

Scope of Exposure

Beyond traditional infrastructure, the warning extends to consumer-grade devices that could funnel sensitive data to China:
- Smartphones and IoT: IP cameras, electric vehicles
- Emerging tech: Large language models (LLMs), medical devices
- Green energy: Photovoltaic converters

Legal Imperatives

Entities under the Czech Cybersecurity Act—including energy, healthcare, transport, and finance sectors—must now:
1. Incorporate Chinese tech risks into mandatory security assessments
2. Implement mitigation measures for existing deployments
3. Justify any continued data transfers to China

While not legally binding for citizens, NUKIB urges individuals to evaluate personal device risks.

Global Context

This advisory aligns with growing Western scrutiny of Chinese tech, reflecting:
- Geopolitical tensions: Heightened since Russia's Ukraine invasion reshaped European security calculus
- Supply chain sovereignty: Accelerated efforts to decouple from high-risk vendors
- Data localization: Increasing demand for regional data residency controls

The move signals a hardening stance against technology dependencies where national security and authoritarian data laws collide. As critical infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected, vendor provenance now rivals functionality in procurement decisions.

Source: BleepingComputer, NUKIB Advisory