Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Bankers' institute draws fire for handling of hacking, leak

Bankers' institute draws fire for handling of hacking, leak

Hong Kong's privacy watchdog yesterday slammed the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers for failing to protect the personal information of more than 113,000 people in a data leakage after the institute was held to ransom by hackers who got into six servers.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has also followed up on 2,128 cases of doxxing up till the end of last year since legislation criminalizing such behavior came into force in October 2021.

Commissioner Ada Chung Lai-ling said there were "serious deficiencies" within the institute in its handling of the matter and that it had violated the Personal Data Ordinance.

The hack occurred on December 30, 2021, when ransomware was used to block off the six servers containing personal data and the institute's computers and backup data.

The leaked data included names, contact information, titles, and names of employers of some 13,000 members and 100,000 non-members of the institute.

Some people even had their identity card and credit card numbers leaked.

An investigation by the watchdog found the institute failed to update its Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network after purchasing the system in 2018, while the institute didn't enable multifactor authentication to enhance the security of the system.

"If it had enabled multifactor authentication, it will not be so easy for the hacker to get access," Chung said.

"We have urged the institute to enhance the security of its data management system to prevent similar incidents from happening again," she added.

The office has served an enforcement notice, directing the institute to remedy and prevent a recurrence.

The watchdog received a total of 3,848 complaints last year, up 15 percent, with more than half involving doxxing allegations.

"It is because we have carried out a series of promotional and publicity and educational activities in relation to the new anti-doxxing regime," Chung said.

She said 95 percent of the complaints were about private organizations or individuals, while the rest were targeted at public organizations or government departments.

Under the new law, the office is empowered to carry out criminal investigations, institute prosecutions and issue cessation notice to stop doxxing.

Chung said the office handled 2,128 doxxing cases last year, and initiated 114 criminal probes, with 32 cases referred to the police for further follow-up actions.

A total of 12 arrests were made as of December 31, with five people having been charged.

Three of them were convicted as of so far this month, with one sentenced to eight months, while the rest are still winding their way through the legal process.

A total of 1,500 cessation notices to 26 online platforms were issued, requesting the removal of 17,703 doxxing messages, with a compliance rate of over 90 percent.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×