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Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 16:30
HK govt on alert in global cyberattack
By Willa Wu
Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 16:30 By Willa Wu

The Hong Kong Police Force introduces guidelines to safeguard cyber security during a media briefing on Monday afternoon. By late on Monday 18 cases relating to attacks by the malware were reported in the city. (Provided to China Daily)

Information about prevention measures had been uploaded to the police’s social media account for the public to seek help

Law Yuet-wingCyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau

The government remains highly vigilant to the globally spread ransomware WannaCry, as different departments actively communicate with local stakeholders and authorities worldwide on methods to address the unprecedented cyber security threat, the Hong Kong Police Force’s Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB) said on Monday.

Superintendent of the Cyber Security Division under the CSTCB Law Yuet-wing said information about prevention measures had been uploaded to the police’s social media account for the public to seek help. 

By late on Monday, 18 cases relating to attacks by the malware were reported in the city, with one reported to the police and the rest reported to the Hong Kong Productivity Council. No ransoms were paid to retrieve locked files. 

But the malware had transformed and could spread more quickly, Law warned. 

WannaCry ransomware attacks computers using Microsoft’s Windows system which does not carry the latest security patch updates. 

Infected users see a pop-up message on the screen saying all files on the computer had been locked and demanding a ransom worth 300 bitcoins – a digital currency that enables recipients to be untraceable — to unlock the documents, according to Law. 

The biggest difference between WannaCry and previous ransomware attacks was that users’ machines could be infected even if they did not take an action, such as downloading a file or clicking on a link, Law noted. 

The malware had affected about 200,000 victims in 150 countries and regions worldwide, Law said. 

Victor Lam Wai-kiu, deputy government chief information officer (infrastructure and operations), who attended the same press conference with Law, said that by 5pm on Monday no government department had reported an attack; all government systems were operating normally.

Lam also noted that the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT), which oversees the city’s cyber security, had assisted the public and small- and medium-sized enterprises in prevention and protection. 

The Hong Kong Productivity Council had alerted schools to the malware through the Education Bureau, according to Wilson Wong, general manager (IT industry and business process) of the Hong Kong Productivity Council.

Hong Kong ranks first in Asia and third in the world as a target for cybercrime. Data from the HKCERT show that 211 reported ransomware cases were under investigation in the first seven months of last year. This represents a more than 10-fold year-on-year increase. 

Users are advised to back up all documents while disconnected from Wi-Fi, and update the computer with latest security patch after detaching the memory disk for backup. 

The police also urge infected users not to pay any ransoms or format the computers, in order to keep evidence. 

willa@chinadailyhk.com 

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