On 4 March 2020 the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the Guidelines on Classification and Grading of Industrial Data (On Trial) to guide industry and IT administrations, industrial enterprises and industrial internet platform enterprises in carrying out the classification and grading of industrial data.(1)

According to the guidelines, the industrial data of industrial enterprises consists of:

  • research and development data;
  • production data;
  • operation and maintenance data;
  • management data; and
  • external data.

The industrial data of industrial internet platform enterprises consists of platform operation data and enterprise management data.

Industrial data is classified as Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 and from high to low based on the potential effect on industrial production and economic benefits once the industrial data is tampered with, damaged, leaked or used unlawfully. Industrial enterprises and industrial internet platform enterprises should assume the responsibility to carry out and annually review data classification and grading. If there are material changes to enterprise systems or business, enterprises should promptly update the classification and grading results.

According to the guidelines, 'industrial data' refers to data generated and applied throughout the lifecycle of products and services in the industrial sector, including:

  • data generated and used by industrial enterprises in research and development and design;
  • production and manufacturing;
  • operation and management;
  • operation and maintenance; and
  • data generated and used by industrial internet platform enterprises in the process of equipment access, platform operation, industrial applications.

Endnotes

(1) Further details are available here.