Oxfam Hong Kong investigates potential data breach following cyberattack
Hong Kong Free Press
Oxfam’s Hong Kong office experienced a cyberattack earlier this month and is investigating whether it resulted in the disclosure of personal data, the NGO has said.
The cyberattack happened on the morning of July 10, affecting certain systems including its Oxfam TrailWalker system.
Oxfam immediately launched an investigation and engaged experts to conduct an examination of the affected systems to assess the impact of the attack, according to the NGO’s statement.
“We are actively working with our cybersecurity experts to investigate into whether the Incident had resulted in any unauthorised disclosure of personal data that we hold, and the extent of any such disclosure,” Oxfam said.
Oxfam also reported the incident to the police, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD), and the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Coordination Centre.
“We want to assure our donors and partners that data security is our top priority and we take this very seriously. [Oxfam] remains committed to continuously strengthening its digital defense to safeguard its information and systems,” it said.
BMW leak
Separately, the city’s sole distributor of BMW vehicles on Thursday said some 14,000 customer records had been affected by a “cybersecurity incident,” including salutations, names, mobile numbers, and SMS opt-out preferences.
In a statement, BMW Concessionaires said an external cybersecurity expert would be engaged to launch a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The distributor’s statement came a week after it notified the PCPD about the breach last Thursday. The privacy watchdog said in a statement on Thursday that it had “advised the relevant organisation to notify the affected data subjects as soon as possible.”
The PCPD received another notice of the incident from Sanuker, a business messaging service provider contracted by BMW Concessionaires, on Wednesday, regarding the same breach.
“The PCPD has commenced an investigation into the incident in accordance with established procedures,” the statement said.
The watchdog said in January that it received more than 150 data breach notifications in 2023, marking a nearly 50 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
A string of breaches continued into this year, with schools, hospitals, and government departments falling victim to cyberattacks.
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