Oxfam Hong Kong investigating possible data leak after revealing it suffered cyberattack

Charity says it discovered the incident on July 10 which affected several systems, including the one used for the Oxfam Trailwalker

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Oxfam Hong Kong has urged the public to stay vigilant regarding any unsolicited or suspicious communications, including phone calls, text messages and emails. Photo: AP

Published: 4:21pm, 26 Jul 2024Updated: 7:46pm, 26 Jul 2024

The Hong Kong branch of international charity Oxfam has revealed that it suffered a cyberattack earlier this month, with investigations under way to determine whether personal data was leaked.

Oxfam Hong Kong said on Friday it had discovered the cyberattack on the morning of July 10 and that it had affected “certain of its systems, including the Oxfam Trailwalker system”.

The Trailwalker is a renowned 100km (62 miles) trail race held annually in the city to help raise funds for the charity.

The charity first revealed the attack in a statement on its website on Saturday, but it was more widely reported on Friday when an email concerning the case was sent to potential victims.

Oxfam Hong Kong said it immediately launched an investigation and engaged independent cybersecurity experts to conduct an assessment of the affected systems to assess the impact of the attack and offer remedies.

“We are actively working with our cybersecurity experts to investigate whether the incident had resulted in any unauthorised disclosure of personal data that we hold, and the extent of any such disclosure,” the organisation said.