The Technology Crime Division (TCD) of Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) hosted a two-day symposium, entitled "Cyber Security Challenges in Maintaining Large-scale Information Systems", at Police Headquarters on January 16 and 17 for strengthening liaison with local stakeholders and promoting a cyber security culture in the community.
The symposium, which attracted over 250 participants representing 87 entities from the local public and private sectors, comprised a management track on the first day and a technical track on the second day.
The management track was designed for both management and technical staff in the fields of information technology and cyber security. A total of six renowned speakers from overseas information security firms, software developers, operators of large-scale information systems and the Force gave presentations on the trends, and an analysis, of cyber attacks and malware infections. The speakers also spoke on the security measures and strategies to deal with cyber threats.
As regard the technical track, there was a technical workshop for working level staff to acquire the necessary know-how of protecting their information systems from malicious cyber attacks. The cyber attack techniques used by hackers and methods for identifying potential loopholes and vulnerabilities were discussed in depth at the workshop.
Officiating at the opening of the symposium, Assistant Commissioner (Crime) John Ribeiro pointed out the challenges of, and the way forward for, maintaining large-scale information systems. "Cyber threats are ever evolving and might come in many forms, from low-tech social engineering to sophisticated exploitation of system vulnerabilities. To maintain the resilience of our cyberspace, it requires the concerted effort of you as an individual, the private sector, the government and law enforcement agencies to form a partnership to protect the integrity of all critical information systems from cyber attacks," Mr Ribeiro told the participants.
Also speaking at the symposium as a keynote speaker, Mr Victor Lam, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, highlighted the commitments, future developments and long-term strategies of the Government in the context of cyber security.
In his closing address at the symposium, CCB Senior Superintendent (Technology Crime & Intelligence) Francis Chan stressed that cyber security had become a "shared" responsibility and that the collaboration among different stakeholders was the only "viable game plan".
The symposium drew lively discussions and positive feedbacks from participants and speakers, who expressed that this kind of event would help in promoting cyber security culture and updating the industries on the latest developments in such fields. More importantly, the symposium has enabled the establishment of an entrusted network with local stakeholders for future collaboration and exchange of information.
