An internet pop-up touting things like 'benefit collection' was actually a means to gather personal and institutional data, China's state security agency cautioned, Huanqiu reported on the 21st.

According to the report, such pop-ups exploit curiosity or the lure of gain to prompt clicks, then steal data or plant malware. Disguising themselves as ordinary ads to lower one's guard is a hallmark.

Authorities advised against clicking pop-ups or links of unknown origin and to verify information only through official channels, stressing that a careless click on a work device can spread into a security threat for the whole organization.

Cybersecurity threats are a universal problem not confined to any one country. Phishing, smishing and malicious pop-ups appear worldwide in shifting forms, making each user's vigilance the most basic line of defense.

This paper reports the matter from the universal angle of everyday information security rather than political implication. Not clicking suspicious links is a safety rule that works everywhere.