Editorial | Cybersecurity must be more of a Hong Kong priority
- As the city works to open up new opportunities, cybercriminals must not be allowed to slip in unchallenged
Locking doors is second nature to most people, but such diligence seems lacking when it comes to online security. Nearly half of the websites in Hong Kong are reportedly wide open to cyberattacks – just as technology-related crimes are on the rise worldwide.
The Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation has been examining the city’s nearly 30,000 websites over the past five years. The domain name administration service said on August 2 that it found 44 per cent of sites had unsafe hyperlinks to third-party services, exposing them to data theft and other security risks.
The government-designated non-profit organisation also found that 32 per cent of the sites disclosed server information, making it easier for hackers to mount attacks. Improper cookie configurations baked into 26 per cent of the websites offer hackers ways to inject malicious code to trick users into installing malware.
Corporation CEO Wilson Wong Ka-wai called for companies to examine their systems, identify risks and look for solutions to improve their cybersecurity. He said rather than “passively” dealing with breaches, they should contact consultants or manufacturers.
Hong Kong police recorded 16,182 cases involving technology crimes in the first half of this year, up 3.5 per cent from 15,637 in the same period of 2023. Losses this year amounted to HK$2.66 billion, with 75 per cent of the cases related to online fraud and the rest to cybersecurity.