×

China issues guidelines on financial services data amid broader cybersecurity push

By Thomson Reuters Jun 13, 2026 | 5:26 AM

BEIJING, June 13 – China’s cybersecurity administrators on Saturday moved to tighten the grading ​and classification of data in ‌the financial information services sector in what it said would strengthen data security management and regulate industry ‌development.

• ​The Cyberspace Administration ⁠of China said ⁠data would be classified into four levels-core, important, sensitive general and routine general-based on importance, ​sensitivity and the potential harm from leaks.

• The move was ⁠announced jointly with ⁠six other departments, including ​the People’s Bank of China.

• ​China has in recent years strengthened ‌its data security framework, moving from top-level legislation to more detailed, sector-specific rules.

• “Financial information services ⁠are developing in an orderly manner, and the volume of data is ⁠expanding … which ‌urgently requires standardised, ⁠classified and graded management,” ​the ‌guidelines said.

• The rules do ​not ⁠apply to data involving state secrets or military information.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; writing by Greg Torode in Hong Kong, Editing by ​Louise Heavens)