Cyberattack on Harbour Plaza hotels in Hong Kong exposes personal data of more than 1.2 million guests
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data launches investigation into illegal access of several databases for room reservations
- Attack comes after online retailer HKTVmall suffered database leak that exposed delivery addresses, recipient names and contact numbers
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog is investigating a cyberattack against the Harbour Plaza hotel group that exposed the booking details of more than 1.2 million guests.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Friday that it had received reports from Harbour Plaza Hotel Management Limited two days ago about a cybersecurity incident involving several databases for room reservations.
Given the large number of people affected, the office said it had launched an investigation and had approached the company for more information, including what type of personal data was leaked.
The group manages 11 hotels in the city, including Harbour Grand Hong Kong and Harbour Grand Kowloon, with more than 8,500 guests rooms and serviced suites in total, according to its website.
Commissioner Ada Chung Lai-ling urged anyone who had stayed at the hotels to remain vigilant over misuse of their personal information and alert the agency if they noticed anything suspicious.
The company said that immediately after the attack it engaged a team of third-party forensic experts to investigate and contain the incident, as well as further secure the system. But it did not disclose the number of guests affected by the leak.
“Our investigation is ongoing and the case has been reported to the Hong Kong police and other relevant authorities,” the group said. “We will be in touch with our guests directly if they have been affected by this incident and provide further information regarding the incident.”
Guests were reminded to be vigilant against phishing or other attempted scams and be alert for any suspicious activity.