23rd September 2023 – (Hong Kong) The Sai Kung District Office (SKDO) has announced a troubling incident involving the loss of participant data by an event contractor. The incident occurred during the organisation of the “2023/24 Sai Kung Youth Ambassador Training Programme – Sai Kung Navigators,” a youth volunteer training event coordinated by the SKDO in collaboration with the Sai Kung District Community Centre (the Centre), a non-profit district organisation.
Yesterday afternoon, the Centre reported to the SKDO that one of its staff members had misplaced a portable device (USB) at a library in City University of Hong Kong on 10th September. Disturbingly, the USB contained sensitive information of 50 event participants, including their names, ages, genders, contact numbers, email addresses, residential addresses, school/institution attended, and the names and contact numbers of their guardians. The Centre took immediate action by reporting the incident to the Police on 12th September and subsequently notifying the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) on 18th September.
Upon receiving the Centre’s report, the SKDO acted swiftly by notifying the PCPD and the Police on 22nd September. Efforts are underway to contact all affected participants and their families to offer apologies and provide an explanation of the incident. To address concerns and provide assistance, a dedicated hotline (6278 0536) has been established for those impacted by the data breach. Additionally, the SKDO has promptly suspended the aforementioned training event.
The SKDO expresses sincere apologies to all individuals affected by this incident and acknowledges any inconvenience caused. Furthermore, they are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to prevent similar breaches from occurring in the future. The SKDO has reprimanded the contractor responsible for the incident and expressed disappointment over their failure to promptly report the incident. The contractor has been instructed to submit a detailed report and implement all necessary measures to prevent any further data leakage. Until satisfactory measures are in place to prevent similar incidents, the contractor will be prohibited from bidding on or organising any future activities under the SKDO’s purview.