HKPC Urges for Enhanced Corporate Security on BYOD

Businesses and organizations are urged to plug information security loopholes amid the growing trend of “Bring-Your-Own-Device” (BYOD) at work.

Addressing the “Information Security Summit 2012” today (21 November 2012), Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), warned of the risks of using insecure mobile devices to access the internal IT networks of organizations.

“Sensitive corporate data, for instance, may be inadvertently exposed if the users lose their devices. Moreover, malware-infected devices may contaminate the organizations’ networks. In no time, hackers will take advantage of these loopholes and slip through the network, compromise the IT systems, eventually incurring heavy losses to the organizations,” she said.

“While more efforts should be made to know more about these risks and the associated mitigating measures, the needs of the end users should not be overlooked as these are, in the first place, their personal devices. Such dilemma presents a tough test on the skills of the management,” she continued.

This year’s Summit addresses the theme of “BYOD and Mobility – Balancing Corporate Security and End-User Needs” through a conference and a series of technical workshops. It is jointly hosted by HKPC and seven information security bodies.

Apart from the Summit, HKPC has organized a government-funded programme to raise SMEs’ awareness in smartphone information security, and published a guidebook on the topic. HKPC’s Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre has also launched incident reporting services for mobile device users, issued alerts on mobile malware at more frequent intervals, and organized seminars to promote a wider use of mobile security technologies and formulation of policy on BYOD at work.

Other officiating guests at the opening of the Summit included Mr Victor Lam, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer (Consulting and Operations) of the HKSAR, and Mr Dale Johnstone, Chairman of the Summit’s organizing committee. Mr Chris Smith, Head of Security and Fraud Risk, Asia Pacific, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, presented a keynote address on the pros and cons of BYOD.

For further information about the Summit and HKPC’s information security services, please contact Ms Tracy Choy at tel. (852) 2788 5884 or email: tracyc@hkpc.org. For other media enquiries, please contact Mr Felix Chan at tel. (852) 2788 5036 or email: felixchan@hkpc.org.

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Mr Jonathan Ho
General Manager
Corporate Communications
Tel: (852) 2788 6390
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
Email: jonathanho@hkpc.org
Website: www.hkpc.org

21 November 2012

Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC, gives welcoming address

Mr Victor Lam, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer (Consulting and Operations) (front row, centre), accompanied by Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC, and Mr Dale Johnstone, Chairman of “Information Security Summit 2012” organizing committee, pose for a group photo with the Summit’s co-organizers and sponsors