Hong Kong Clean PC Day 2009 – Security of Online Transaction

Technology crime is on the rising trend. According to figures of Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the numbers of cases have been raised for about 25% to 791 in the year 2008. The latest figure in the first quarter of 2009 has reached 240, of which over half of the victims suffered financial losses. The proliferation of technology crime cases with financial loss is probably due to the recent popularity of Internet based electronic transactions such as e-auction, e-banking and e-shopping.

While Internet provides a convenient and efficient channel to conduct business transaction and electronic payment, people are at the risk of financial loss due to some traps and vulnerabilities not present in the traditional pre-Internet era. Internet users have to take sufficient security considerations and precaution measures in order to minimise the risks against technology crime.

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), HKPF and Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) have continued to co-organise information security campaign. It aims to make citizens aware of the potential risks when conducting online transactions, and provides them with the proper precautions when using Internet services. This year, our main theme is “Security of Online Transaction”. We target to enhance the understanding of information security by the Internet users, and help them to prevent the financial loss as victims of cybercrime.

A summary of various activities is shown below.