South China Athletic Association hit by cyber-attack

The South China Athletic Association said their servers were breached in a cyber-attack on Sunday (Mar 17), while the city’s privacy watchdog said about 70,000 individuals may have been affected.

The sports association shared the news on social media Monday night, saying they have shut down the affected computer equipment to maximize the protection of their members’ personal data - including name, date of birth, HKID no, and correspondence address.

A report has been filed with the police while the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has been notified, the association said.

The association also said there is currently no evidence to suggest that any personal data has been leaked into the public domain.

“To safeguard the interest of the affected members, South China Athletic Association has activated an emergency plan and will notify any affected members,” it added.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said in a statement on Tuesday that it has advised the association to notify the affected data subjects as soon as possible, and has commenced an investigation into the incident in accordance with established procedures.

The watchdog also called on people to make inquiries or complaints with the association or the office if they suspect that their personal data have been leaked.