China’s Cyber Silence is More Worrying Than Russia’s Noise, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist Says

Mihoko Matsubara, chief cybersecurity strategist at Japan’s NTT, argues that China’s approach to cyber operations is more worrisome than Russia’s overt aggression, noting thatChina is active but not destructive toward critical infrastructure. In SecurityWeek, she suggests her theory—not proven—that China has studied Russia’s disruptive methods and plans to withhold its own disruptive techniques until a moment of surprise, to better counter defenders.

She contrasts this with Russia, which she says uses disruptive cyber to demoralise opponents. The interview also covers Ukraine’s cyber resilience, emphasising defence in depth, continuous red teaming, and international cooperation for hardware, software, and threat intelligence. Matsubara touches on 5G and AI, describing 5G’s advantages and the chicken‑and‑egg problem of its uptake, before warning that AGI could accelerate job displacement and necessitate humans remaining in the loop. Written by Kevin Townsend, the piece was published on 12 November 2025, according to SecurityWeek.