A cyberattack on leading Hong Kong appliance distributor Shun Hing Group has compromised the personal information of more than 1 million people, according to the city’s privacy watchdog.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Thursday that it had launched an investigation into the incident after receiving a data breach report from Shun Hing Group on March 23.
The latest information provided by the company suggested that the personal data of as many as 1.05 million people, mostly its customers, had been maliciously encrypted, the watchdog said.
Personal information of more than 920,000 customers – including their names, addresses and email addresses – was involved.
Some 1,000 employees were also affected, with additional data such as their identity card numbers, bank account details and salary information jeopardised.
In a statement issued in April, Shun Hing Group said it had detected unauthorised access and damage to its computer systems caused by a cyberattack, adding it had since filed a police report and engaged an independent team of cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident.
The company, founded in 1953, is the exclusive agent and sole distributor for Japanese electronics giant Panasonic in Hong Kong and Macau. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
