Don't run your own programs on other people's computers, servers or cameras, and don't use company machines to mine cryptocurrency

Cost

Free, and it takes no time.

What you get

Illegally controlling a computer information system, when the circumstances are serious, carries up to 3 years, with a fine on top or a fine alone, and 3 to 7 years in especially serious cases. Illegally controlling 20 or more machines counts as "serious circumstances." When it does not amount to a crime, the police confiscate the illegal gains, impose detention of up to 5 days, and may fine 50,000 to 500,000 CNY. In more serious cases, the detention is 5 to 15 days and the fine may be 100,000 to 1,000,000 CNY. A person who has received a public security penalty is barred for 5 years, and one who has received a criminal penalty for life, from key posts in network security management and network operations. Official cases: Li bought the IPs of network cameras and used software to control 105 of them to spy on people's private lives. He got 3 years, suspended for 5 years, and a fine of 20,000 CNY. Wu and others planted a Trojan in phone motherboards, controlled more than 3,300,000 (330余万) phones and had them send back verification codes. Sentences ranged from 2 years to 4 years 6 months (nationwide)

Notes

No case on mining with a company's servers was found among those published by the Supreme People's Procuratorate or the Supreme People's Court. This item is written from the provision on "controlling other people's systems without permission." The ban on "key posts for life" is a consequence the Cybersecurity Law (网络安全法) adds on top of fines and prison sentences, and for a tech worker it weighs more than a fine.

Evidence grade

A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.

Sources

1. National People's Congress (2020). Criminal Law [in Chinese] (as amended by Amendment XI, Article 285, paragraph 2). https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html
2. Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuratorate (2011). Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases Endangering the Security of Computer Information Systems [in Chinese] (Article 1). https://ga.sz.gov.cn/ZWGK/ZCFG/ZCJD/content/post_1304363.html
3. National People's Congress Standing Committee (2025). Cybersecurity Law [in Chinese] (2025 amendment, in force January 1, 2026, Articles 29 and 66; in the 2016 text these are Articles 27 and 63, and the lifetime industry ban is Article 66, paragraph 3, as amended). https://www.cac.gov.cn/2025-12/29/c_1768735112911946.htm
4. Supreme People's Procuratorate (2022). Binzhou Development Zone, Shandong: Handling a Case of Illegally Controlling a Computer Information System [in Chinese]. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/dfjcdt/202205/t20220518_557113.shtml
5. Supreme People's Procuratorate (2021). Typical Cases of Giving Full Play to Procuratorial Functions to Advance Cyberspace Governance [in Chinese] (Case 6). https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/xwfbh/wsfbh/202101/t20210125_507452.shtml

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 11, tip 8. This section describes legal rules, mostly mainland China’s. It is general information, not legal advice; for your own case, talk to a lawyer. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer