Hong Kong initiated a three-day cybersecurity drill on Friday as part of an effort to bolster the city’s digital resilience ahead of major upcoming events, including the 15th National Games and the Legislative Council General Election.

The exercise, officially named the “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Attack and Defence Drill 2025”, simulates a real-world cyber conflict.

The “blue teams”, comprising 25 government agencies and nine public institutions, make up the defensive side.

They are pitted against 15 “red teams” of cybersecurity experts from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, working alongside local college students, who are tasked with simulating sophisticated attacks.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong emphasized the drill’s proactive purpose.

He said the exercise will help authorities remain vigilant against cybersecurity risks, enabling them to “address potential vulnerabilities, and prevent problems before they occur”.

This year’s event marks the second edition of the drill, and builds on the success of the inaugural exercise held last year.

Sun noted that the previous drill, which initiated the use of “live drills” and “real-network testing”, served as a comprehensive assessment and helped enhance cybersecurity protection and emergency response capabilities.

ALSO READ: HKSAR govt hosts first cybersecurity drill

The Digital Policy Office, an organizer of the drill, has further expanded the scale of this year’s drill to cover more public services, he said.

The initiative will bolster the cybersecurity defense of the 15th National Games, opening on Nov 9, and the Legislative Council General Election on Dec 7, he added.

Contact the writer at lilei@chinadailyhk.com