Cybersecurity experts have called on authorities to impose fines on firms that suffer data breaches after the personal information of more than 1 million people linked to a leading Hong Kong appliance distributor was maliciously encrypted.
They made the comments on Friday, a day after the city’s privacy watchdog announced it had launched an investigation into the breach, which was initially reported by Shun Hing Group on March 23.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said the latest information from the company suggested that the personal data of as many as 1.05 million people, mostly its customers, had been maliciously encrypted.
It said personal information of more than 920,000 customers – including their names, addresses and email addresses – was involved.
“Safeguarding consumer privacy is no longer just a compliance issue. It is fundamental to keeping the public’s trust,” said David Ip, founding chairman of the Hong Kong China Network Security Association.
“Such a large-scale data leak is unacceptable. The scale of this breach highlights a critical vulnerability. Large conglomerates managing extensive consumer records must move beyond standard defences.
