Hong Kong launches first cybersecurity drill after surge in hacking cases
Government says it plans for 60-hour drill to become annual exercise, as innovation minister calls cybersecurity ‘long-term task’
The drill began on Friday and will run for 60 hours, with innovation minister Sun Dong calling it a step in the right direction for the city’s development.
“Maintaining cybersecurity is an important part of promoting high-quality economic development and building a smart city,” he said at a launch ceremony. “It is a long-term task that can only be ongoing and never completed.”
The initiative, organised by the Digital Policy Office, also involves the police force, the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation and the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT).
Commissioner for Digital Policy Tony Wong Chi-kwong said a “red” hacker team, made up of industry professionals, as well as students and faculty members from HKIIT and the Hong Kong College of Technology, would launch attacks on government systems by sending phishing emails or disguising themselves as clients to obtain sensitive information such as login details and passwords.
A “blue” defence team features staff from nine government departments and three public organisations, who will be on site in their offices to detect and prepare for each attack. The drill is targeting 16 government systems.
