Abstract:
In the context of Digital China, increasing public reliance on cyber infrastructure and devices has led to a surge in cybersecurity incidents. Taking the "Didi Crash" incident at the end of 2023 as a case study, this research demonstrates that malfunctions in essential internet applications not only disrupt daily life significantly but also trigger three secondary social risks: social panic, public opinion crises, and the erosion of social trust. Specifically, the disruption of internet services, coupled with a scarcity of reliable information, can rapidly induce social panic; unmet public expectations and the accumulation of negative sentiments may give rise to crises in public opinion; and the convergence of online onlookers, reinforced by collective memory, can ultimately undermine social trust. To address these risks, the study proposes a two-pronged governance strategy. At the level of cybersecurity incidents, preventive measures include establishing and refining comprehensive cybersecurity management systems, expediting the development of advanced cybersecurity technologies, constructing robust data security defenses, and reinforcing cybersecurity across multiple dimensions while enhancing employee awareness and proficiency in risk prevention. For the secondary risks, the strategy emphasizes the need to improve information disclosure protocols to alleviate social panic through greater transparency, to strengthen public opinion monitoring systems to moderate public sentiment and defuse opinion crises, and to develop dynamic response mechanisms to effectively guide and regulate public discourse.