HKCERT and Microsoft Hong Kong Launch City's First Healthcare Cyber Security Watch Programme

In recent years, the HKSAR Government has advocated the use of innovative technology to enhance the services of the Hong Kong healthcare system to support the development of Smart City. These include setting up a big data analytics platform to facilitate healthcare-related research, adopting a smart hospital approach, and completion of phase two of the Electronic Health Record Sharing System in 2022. With such initiatives set to accelerate the digital transformation of the healthcare sector, cyber security is of critical importance and healthcare organisations must be prepared to combat the worsening cyber security threats.

Since early this year, HKCERT and Microsoft Hong Kong have jointly embarked on a pilot programme to strengthen cyber security of the local healthcare sector – the first of its kind in Hong Kong. By leveraging on global cyber security threat intelligence, the pilot programme offers an IP address matching service for public and private medical institutions in Hong Kong to identify those compromised computers and networked devices quickly and implement security measures to stop the spreading of attacks, ridding themselves of the unwanted tag of ‘cyber attack accomplices’.

Following the success of the pilot programme in which 11 organisations including the Hospital Authority and most of the private hospitals in Hong Kong have participated, HKCERT and Microsoft Hong Kong have announced the launch of the official “Healthcare Cyber Security Watch Programme”. It is now open for all healthcare organisations in Hong Kong to join at no cost.

Healthcare institutions joining the 12-month Programme will receive cyber threat reports from HKCERT and Microsoft Hong Kong indicating cyber security health level of the organisation. The report will include situational awareness of emerging cyber attacks and information of any compromised network. Regular complimentary sessions will also be provided for healthcare institutions on general cyber security updates.

Please contact HKCERT for enquiry of procedure to join the Programme (Email: [email protected], Phone: 8105 6060.)