Qihoo 360

Qihoo 360 is a Chinese technology company headquartered in Beijing and best known for building a large consumer internet-security ecosystem around the 360 brand. Founded in June 2005 by Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong, the company initially competed in the Chinese security-software market with products that emphasized free access, threat detection, system maintenance, and protection against malicious software. Its principal consumer products included 360 Safeguard, 360 Antivirus, and 360 Mobile Safe. The company’s free-security strategy helped it gain broad distribution among Chinese personal-computer and mobile users, while also making it a disruptive competitor to established internet and software companies. Qihoo 360 subsequently expanded beyond antivirus and system utilities. It developed the 360 Secure Browser, a mobile application store known as 360 Mobile Assistant, search services, and a range of connected devices. In 2012, the company entered the smartphone market with the Battleship phone, produced in cooperation with Haier. Haier supplied the hardware while Qihoo 360 concentrated on software customization based on Android. The same year, Qihoo launched the so.com search engine, placing it in direct competition with Baidu and other major Chinese search providers. The search service was later rebranded as haosou.com in 2015. The company also pursued international technology and investment opportunities. It increased its stake in Brazilian technology company PSafe in 2013, established a Silicon Valley venture-capital fund in 2014, and acquired most of Opera Software in 2016 for approximately US$600 million. Qihoo 360 was taken private in a 2016 transaction valued at approximately US$9.3 billion and later returned to China's public markets through a reverse merger. Its A-share listing was completed in 2018 through the acquisition of a controlling interest in Shanghai-listed Jiangnan Jiajie, after which the listed company adopted the 360 Security Technology identity and traded under ticker 601360.SS. Today, the brand spans consumer cybersecurity, enterprise security, vulnerability and threat intelligence, browsers and internet services, mobile utilities, smart cameras, children's devices, and other connected hardware. Its positioning combines mass-market security services with enterprise and national cybersecurity capabilities. The company has also become associated with debates over data governance, software transparency, certificate-authority practices, antivirus testing, online privacy, surveillance technology, and competition in China's internet industry. In 2020, the United States placed Qihoo 360 on the Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List, citing alleged involvement in high-technology surveillance connected with Xinjiang. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense added it to a list of Chinese military companies. These measures affected the company's international regulatory profile but did not end its activity in China.

Qihoo 360 was established in Beijing in June 2005 by Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong. It developed as a specialist in Chinese internet security at a time when personal-computer users faced widespread malware, browser attacks, fraudulent websites, and system-maintenance problems. The company built its consumer presence through products such as 360 Safeguard and 360 Antivirus, whose broad availability and free or low-cost positioning helped it challenge established security-software providers. Mobile security products, including 360 Mobile Safe, extended the brand into smartphones. After establishing its core security business, Qihoo expanded into adjacent internet services. The 360 Secure Browser became a major consumer product, while 360 Mobile Assistant provided a mobile application-distribution channel. In 2012, the company launched the Battleship smartphone with Haier. The arrangement assigned hardware production to Haier and software customization to Qihoo, with Android serving as the underlying operating system. Qihoo received more than 220,000 pre-orders on the first day according to contemporary reporting. Also in 2012, Qihoo introduced so.com, a search engine intended to compete directly with Baidu. Its share of unique visitors subsequently reached 10.52 percent of China's search market in the cited period. Qihoo later explored acquiring Sogou from Sohu, although the proposed transaction did not result in an acquisition. In 2015, so.com was renamed haosou.com, using a Chinese name meaning roughly “good search.” The company pursued overseas expansion and investment during the following period. It increased its investment in Brazil-based technology company PSafe in 2013 and established a venture-capital fund in Silicon Valley in 2014. In December 2015, Qihoo agreed to be acquired by a consortium of investors in a transaction valued at approximately US$9.3 billion. The privatization was completed in 2016. That year, Qihoo acquired most of Opera Software for approximately US$600 million, giving it access to browser and mobile-internet assets beyond China. Qihoo later returned to China's public markets through a reverse merger. In 2018, it obtained control of Shanghai-listed Jiangnan Jiajie and used the transaction to become publicly traded in China's A-share market under the 360 Security Technology identity. The company continued investing in cybersecurity, smart devices, and related technology, including an investment in Shanghai-based i-Soon in 2018. Qihoo's growth has been accompanied by sustained controversy. It has engaged in high-profile litigation and antitrust disputes with Tencent and other Chinese internet companies, including Baidu, Sogou, and Emiage. Critics and researchers have also questioned traffic-reporting practices, antivirus-testing configurations, browser behavior, certificate-authority governance, device data collection, and the security of connected products. These issues have contributed to a public image that combines aggressive competition and rapid product expansion with scrutiny over transparency and privacy. International regulatory pressure intensified in 2020, when the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security placed Qihoo 360 on the Entity List over alleged national-security concerns and alleged involvement in high-technology surveillance in Xinjiang. Chinese officials criticized the measure as interference in China's internal affairs. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense added the company to a list of Chinese military companies. Despite these restrictions and controversies, Qihoo remains an active Chinese technology group with consumer-security, enterprise-security, software, search, and smart-hardware activities.

1. 2022Added to a U.S. Chinese military-company list

   The U.S. Department of Defense adds Qihoo 360 to a list of Chinese military companies operating in the United States.

   Source
2. 2020Added to the U.S. Entity List

   The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security imposes export-related restrictions based on stated national-security concerns.

   Source
3. 2018Return to China's A-share market

   Qihoo becomes publicly traded through a reverse merger involving Jiangnan Jiajie and adopts the 360 Security Technology identity.

   Source
4. 2016Privatization is completed

   A consortium completes the acquisition of Qihoo in a transaction valued at approximately US$9.3 billion.

   Source
5. 2016Acquisition of most of Opera Software

   Qihoo acquires most of Opera Software for approximately US$600 million.

   Source
6. 2015so.com is rebranded as haosou.com

   Qihoo changes the name of its search service to haosou.com.

   Source
7. 2014Silicon Valley venture fund established

   The company creates a venture-capital fund focused on technology investment.

   Source
8. 2013Investment in PSafe

   Qihoo increases its stake in Brazilian technology company PSafe.

   Source
9. 2012Launch of the Battleship smartphone

   Qihoo collaborates with Haier on an Android-based smartphone, with Haier handling hardware and Qihoo customizing software.

   Source
10. 2012so.com search engine launches

    Qihoo enters China's search market and begins competing directly with Baidu.

    Source
11. 2005Qihoo 360 is founded

    Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong establish the company in Beijing and begin developing internet-security products.

    Source

A mass-market Chinese cybersecurity and technology platform that provides free or widely distributed consumer security tools while also serving enterprises and public-sector customers with cybersecurity, threat intelligence, software, and connected hardware.

• 360 SafeguardConsumer security software

  Qihoo's flagship personal-computer security and system-protection product. It combines malware defense with browser protection, system checking, maintenance utilities, and related security functions. Its broad distribution and free-access positioning were central to Qihoo's early consumer growth in China.

• 360 AntivirusAntivirus software

  A consumer antivirus product developed for detecting and blocking malicious software. The product became part of Qihoo's broader security suite and was distributed alongside system-protection and browser-security utilities.

• 360 Mobile SafeMobile security software

  A mobile-security application intended to protect smartphones from malware, unwanted calls, messages, and other mobile threats. It extended the 360 security proposition from desktop computers into the rapidly expanding Chinese smartphone market.

• 360 Secure BrowserWeb browser

  Qihoo's consumer web browser, designed around browsing security, protection from malicious sites, and integration with the company's internet-services ecosystem. The browser also became the subject of criticism over an alleged undeclared server-communication and file-download mechanism.

• 360 Mobile AssistantMobile application store

  A mobile application-distribution platform that provided users with access to smartphone applications and related mobile services. It helped Qihoo establish a broader mobile ecosystem beyond its security utilities.

• 360 Search and haosou.comSearch engine2012

  Qihoo's search service launched as so.com in 2012 and renamed haosou.com in 2015. It represented the company's attempt to use its large consumer-security and browser audience to challenge Baidu and other incumbent search providers.

• 360 Smart HardwareConnected devices

  A family of connected consumer devices associated with the 360 brand, including security cameras, children's watches, and other smart-home or personal-device products. These products extend the company into hardware while also increasing the privacy and security responsibilities associated with connected data.

• Enterprise cybersecurity servicesEnterprise cybersecurity

  Security products and services for organizations, including threat intelligence, vulnerability discovery, monitoring, incident response, and broader network and data-security capabilities. This business complements Qihoo's mass-market consumer-security franchise.

• 2018Return to public markets through a reverse mergerStrategy

  After being taken private in 2016, Qihoo sought a new public-market structure in China.

  What changed. The company used a reverse merger involving Shanghai-listed Jiangnan Jiajie and became listed under the 360 Security Technology identity.

  Aftermath. Qihoo returned to China's A-share market and trades under ticker 601360.SS.

  Source
• 2016Acquire most of Opera SoftwareM&A

  Following its privatization, Qihoo pursued international browser and mobile-internet assets.

  What changed. Qihoo acquired most of Opera Software.

  Aftermath. The transaction expanded Qihoo's international technology portfolio, particularly in browsers and mobile internet.

  Transaction value. US$600 million (2016)

  Source
• 2012Enter the smartphone market with HaierProduct launch

  Qihoo sought to extend its security and software ecosystem into smartphones as Android devices became increasingly important in China.

  What changed. The company partnered with Haier to launch the Battleship phone, with Haier responsible for hardware and Qihoo responsible for software customization.

  Aftermath. The phone reportedly received more than 220,000 pre-orders on its first day, although the long-term smartphone strategy did not become the company's central business.

  Source
• 2012Launch a competing search engineProduct launch

  Qihoo used its consumer-security, browser, and traffic base to expand into online search, a market dominated by Baidu.

  What changed. It launched so.com and later renamed the service haosou.com.

  Aftermath. The service gained a measurable share of Chinese search traffic and became part of Qihoo's broader internet-services strategy.

  Source

• 2022U.S. military-company designationControversy

  The U.S. Department of Defense added Qihoo 360 to a list of Chinese military companies operating in the United States, extending the company's geopolitical and regulatory controversy.

  Source
• 2020U.S. Entity List designationControversy

  The United States accused Qihoo 360 of contributing to high-technology surveillance connected with the crackdown in Xinjiang and placed the company on the Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List. Chinese officials denied the legitimacy of the measure and demanded its withdrawal.

  Source
• 2020Children's-watch backdoor reportControversy

  Security researchers reported a backdoor affecting a line of children's watches manufactured by Qihoo for Xplora, raising concerns about the security of connected products used by minors.

  Source
• 2020Samsung storage-cleaner data controversyControversy

  Users questioned the presence of Qihoo technology in Samsung mobile storage-cleaning tools and the transmission of data to Chinese servers. Samsung said the information was generic device information needed for optimization and did not identify particular files.

  Source
• 2017Privacy concerns over publicly streamed security footageControversy

  Chinese authorities moved to curb widespread online streaming of security-camera, private-webcam, and IP-camera footage, citing privacy and portrait-rights concerns and sanctioning activity involving security-camera companies, including Qihoo-related services.

  Source
• 2016StartCom and WoSign certificate-authority controversyControversy

  Mozilla documents indicated that Qihoo appeared to have acquired a controlling interest in StartCom through a chain involving WoSign. Mozilla alleged failures to disclose ownership changes and other certificate-authority compliance concerns. Google and Mozilla subsequently announced restrictions on trust for relevant certificate roots.

  Source
• 2015Dispute over antivirus testing configurationsControversy

  Several antivirus-testing organizations alleged that Qihoo supplied a version using the Bitdefender engine for testing while its consumer release used the company's QVM engine, raising questions about whether test results represented ordinary users' protection.

  Source
• 2012Alleged undeclared mechanism in 360 Secure BrowserControversy

  A whistleblower alleged that 360 Secure Browser contained a hidden backdoor. Independent analysis cited an undeclared mechanism that periodically contacted a server and could download files, including executable files. Qihoo rejected the allegations and attributed criticism to commercial smearing.

  Source

• 2018Qihoo 360 returns to China’s stock market through reverse merger

  After completing its privatization and delisting, the business became publicly traded in Shanghai through a reverse-merger transaction.

  M&A
  Source
• 2015Qihoo 360 announces privatization from the New York Stock Exchange

  The company agreed to a management-backed transaction intended to take it private from the NYSE.

  M&A
  Source
• 2011Qihoo 360 completes New York Stock Exchange listing

  Qihoo 360 began trading on the NYSE, giving the Chinese internet-security company access to international public equity markets.

  Other
  Source

1. Qihoo 360
2. Qihoo 360 official website
3. Google identifies Qihoo 360 browser as part of a security dispute
4. Qihoo 360 returns to China’s stock market through reverse merger
5. Qihoo 360 announces privatization from the New York Stock Exchange
6. Qihoo 360 completes New York Stock Exchange listing