The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Friday launched its first-ever three-day cybersecurity drill, with mock cyberattacks to find risks and vulnerabilities in its systems and platforms as the city prepares to host the Cybersecurity Symposium 2024 in December.
The drill, which ended on Sunday, simulated two teams in practical combat, with the “Red Team” comprising five groups of cybersecurity professionals and academics acting as the attackers. The defenders, the “Blue Team”, comprised 12 groups from government departments and public organizations, who were required to fend off the Red Team’s attacks on daily system operations.
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The drill was spearheaded by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), in collaboration with the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force, the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corp Ltd, and the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology.
The DPO invited other government departments and public organizations that did not participate in the drill to join as observers. More than 400 representatives from over 50 government departments and public organizations attended guided tours to help them prepare to participate in future drills.
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Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Lillian Cheong Man-Lei and Commissioner for Digital Policy Tony Wong Chi-Kwong visited the venue during the drill to discuss the exercise's progress with the participating teams, judging panels and staff.
Deputy Commissioner (Digital Infrastructure) Daniel Cheung Yee-wai also visited the venue on Sunday to witness the successful completion of the exercise.
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The DPO said it will continue to collaborate with the industry to prepare a series of cybersecurity promotional activities, including the Cybersecurity Symposium 2024, with a view to raising the community's awareness of cybersecurity.
The symposium will bring together public and private sector organizations, businesses, and industry experts from the Chinese mainland to discuss how the industry can work together to strengthen cybersecurity, and to consider and learn about the important outcomes and experience gleaned from the cybersecurity drill.
