How AI and Big Data Are Redefining Global Cybersecurity – Insights from Zhou Hongyi

On July 24, 2025, at the opening ceremony of the World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum, Zhou Hongyi, founder of 360, delivered a keynote on the security challenges of the digital‑intelligent era.

He described the era as “everything programmable, everything connected, big data driving business, AI boosting productivity,” and warned that this “software‑defined world” makes societies, enterprises and governments increasingly vulnerable.

Zhou highlighted that cyber attacks have become a tool of state conflict and that criminal groups are becoming more professional, organized and transnational, posing major obstacles to digital transformation.

He emphasized that vulnerabilities cannot be eliminated, so defenses must assume breach and focus on rapid detection and response, coining the phrase “defending beyond the national border is impossible.”

Regarding AI, he warned that future hackers may control dozens of AI agents to launch attacks, turning the traditional “human‑vs‑human” battle into a “human‑vs‑machine” confrontation.

Zhou outlined 360’s achievements: protecting 15 billion endpoints in 225 countries, performing 560 billion daily cloud scans, intercepting 100 million ransomware attempts, and building the world’s largest security‑big‑data knowledge base.

He introduced the “security‑as‑service” model, turning security into a cloud platform that offers services rather than just hardware, and announced intelligent security agents to address talent shortages.

Finally, Zhou called for global cooperation, offering 360’s AI‑driven threat‑prevention capabilities to Belt‑and‑Road countries, including APT detection, security‑cloud services, free security programs, and training to strengthen local talent.