Ransomware hits Cheung Sha Wan Vegetable Market, 7,000 users’ data at risk

The gate and accounting systems at the Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Vegetable Market were hit by a ransomware attack on Monday, potentially compromising the data of about 7,000 market users.

The Vegetable Marketing Organization (VMO), which operates the market, said it is investigating the incident to determine whether any personal data was leaked. It pledged to promptly notify affected individuals if necessary.

In response to the suspected security breach, the VMO immediately disconnected its network systems and severed external connections to affected servers to block further access by hackers.

Authorities, including the police and the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT), have been notified. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has also been looped in.

While the wholesale market continues to operate, certain processes have been disrupted. Tasks involving invoicing and payment disbursements have been temporarily switched to manual handling.

The VMO has engaged an external contractor to carry out urgent system repairs and assist with the investigation.

The organization said it takes cybersecurity “extremely seriously” and will conduct a thorough review of the incident. It also pledged to strengthen its information and network security to prevent a similar occurrence.