Electoral reform referendum voting hours to be extended after cyberattacks
Organisers are steeling themselves for massive cyberattacks after an 'unprecedented' onslaught
Occupy Central organisers will extend the voting hours of their three-day citywide ballot on electoral reform to buffer the exercise against a deluge of cyberattacks.
The electronic system that had been set up to accept advance registrations came under more than 10 billion cyberattacks in a total of 20 hours over the past few days, the organisers said.
One internet security expert said "the scale of attack was unprecedented in the history of Hong Kong" and believed at least 5,000 computers were involved.
The June 20-22 "referendum" can also accept votes at 15 polling stations set up across the city - but these would be opened only on Sunday and could accommodate a total of about 70,000 votes at most, Occupy organiser Dr Chan Kin-man said yesterday.
"We are trying to set up new stations on Sunday, but it is hard as … no [primary or secondary] school has agreed to lend us its premises," Chan said.
He said the cyberattacks of the past days were "definitely" initiated at the state level, as big technology companies would have no motive to do such a thing. "It's hard not to suspect that it is actually our motherland trying to put down the referendum," he said.