HONG KONG: Internet users in the city have come under increased risk of having their computers hacked, infected by viruses or used to disseminate malicious code, the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERTCC) reported yesterday. The team reported 532 cases of hacking and other malicious practices directed at online users over the first seven months of this year. That's 15 percent higher than during the same period last year.

The Centre received 339 hacking complaints from January to July this year, compared to 292 in the same period last year. The number of virus and phishing complaints also increased.

Roy Ko, center manager of the HKCERTCC, said, "I myself am quite worried. There are a lot of business transactions online every day, but not all computers or websites are protected."

He said it is hard to estimate how many computers in Hong Kong are infected or compromised by hackers.

But he said there are many zombie computers carrying viruses or trojan horses. The compromised machines are used by the hacker to perform malicious tasks under remote control. Most owners of zombie computers are unaware that their systems have been compromised.

Samson Tam, deputy chairman of Hong Kong Productivity Council, said, "We are especially concerned about the growing number of personal computers being controlled and used as zombie computers to engage in cyber crime activities."

Tam cited examples such as the Conficker worm which triggered widespread panic in March. The worm affected millions of computers worldwide through channels such as file sharing, softwares and USB disks. The worm triggered major disruptions on the Internet.

"The recent news of cyber criminals being able to break into the authentication process of e-banking transactions by service users is a timely reminder of such urgency," said Tam.

Ko identified various areas upon which he said the government must focus, including raising public awareness, clearly identifying where responsibilities lie, and increased cooperation between departments and even countries.

He said it is important to identify critical information sectors (like banking) and establish a comprehensive strategy to protect information of that sort.

(HK Edition 08/13/2009 page1)