Credit reporting agency TransUnion forced to suspend online services over personal data security flaw as Hong Kong leader urges fix
- Chief Executive Carrie Lam was among those affected by easy online authentication procedures
- TransUnion, which compiles credit reports for banks and lending institutions, handles the data of 5.4 million consumers in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong arm of American consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion was forced to suspend its online services on Thursday after a local newspaper was easily able to access the personal data of the city’s leader and finance minister.
While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has urged TransUnion to ensure the personal information of millions of Hongkongers is protected, police are investigating the company’s complaint about the unauthorised access to its data.
Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao on Wednesday claimed it had easily obtained credit reports for a number of high-profile public figures, including Lam and Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po due to TransUnion’s simple online authentication procedures.
The credit reporting agency, which holds the consumer information of 500 million people in more than 30 countries, said it had reported Ming Pao to police and temporarily suspended online services.
“Our preliminary findings indicate that the reporter accessed consumer information for a very limited number of Hong Kong consumers in violation of Hong Kong data privacy law,” the agency said. “We have contacted law enforcement to further investigate this matter.”
Lam said she had received a letter from TransUnion assuring her of remedial action.