Hong Kong civil service restrictions on WhatsApp, WeChat needed in light of risks: experts
Experts also call on government to improve risk intelligence systems and employee cybersecurity awareness
Hong Kong has taken a more aggressive approach to protect the government from cyberattacks than some Western countries, experts have said, attributing new restrictions on using desktop instant messaging platforms to a weaker cyber-risk surveillance system and intensifying geopolitical tensions.
The experts also called for improvements in the government’s risk intelligence systems and employee cybersecurity awareness, adding that social media platforms could be reopened in stages after the situation improved.
Anthony Lai Cheuk-tung, a director of cybersecurity firm VX Research, supported the government’s decision.
“When you do not have a capable surveillance system, you cannot identify if downloads from the internet contain viruses, or if there is any abnormality in your internal system,” he said on Wednesday.
“The most straightforward measure is to cut access to channels that may invite risks.”
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong announced on Tuesday that civil servants would be restricted from using instant messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp and WeChat, and cloud storage services like Google Drive on their work computers due to “severe internet safety risks”.
