First local cross-sector pilot partnership programme for cyber security information sharing officially launched

     The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) officially launched a two-year Pilot Partnership Programme for Cyber Security Information Sharing named Cybersec Infohub and the first cross-sector cyber security information sharing and collaborative platform in Hong Kong today (September 24). The Cybersec Infohub aims to promote cyber security information exchange among public organisations, the private sector and the community and enhance the city's overall defensive capability and resilience against cyber attacks.

     All companies and organisations with a business address in Hong Kong which manage electronic communications networks and have operational needs for cyber security information, irrespective of size, are eligible to become members of the Cybersec Infohub for free.

     Through the collaborative platform (Cybersechub.hk) established under the Cybersec Infohub, members can share cyber security information, advice and expert insights on topics such as mitigation measures and best practices with cyber security experts from different industries, while the public can obtain such professional information via the Public Zone, making information sharing multi-directional. The collaborative platform is also meant to promote collaboration among members. By sharing the latest intelligence of cyber threats and attacks at the earliest time, members will be alerted and able to join forces in guarding against cyber attacks more effectively.

     On the security front, apart from strict compliance with the Government's security policies and guidelines, the collaborative platform adopts two-step verification for login and industry standards for cyber security information sharing. All these measures will ensure a trusted environment for members to share information and intelligence as well as discuss or collaborate with other experts in the Members Zone securely. Members may also gather and export indicators of compromise from the collaborative platform for their own systems for application or further security analysis.

     Addressing the launch ceremony today, the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Victor Lam, said, "Cyber attacks are happening anytime and cyber threats are in various guises. It is hard for enterprises or organisations to deal with the ever-changing cyber threats alone. Close collaboration based on mutual trust to share cyber security information is therefore essential."

     Mr Lam said that many cyber security information sharing organisations have been set up around the world, enabling their members to respond in a timely manner at the early stage of cyber threats or attacks through sharing of intelligence, knowledge and experience. He expressed the hope that via the Cybersec Infohub, a collaborative culture and closer partnership could also be built up among members of the local industry to facilitate more effective and prompt reaction to cyber attacks.

     At present, 229 representatives from 81 companies and organisations have registered as members of the Cybersec Infohub. Many of them have taken the lead to share information on the platform, including the latest trends of cyber threats, research reports on ransomware and security advisories on vulnerabilities. The participating companies and organisations include cyber security companies, tertiary institutions, critical infrastructure operators, information technology professional associations, telecommunications or Internet service providers, financial and insurance institutions, and two local Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centres.

     Mr Lam said that artificial intelligence elements will be introduced to the collaborative platform by making use of machine learning to build and operate the text analytics model in the first half of next year. The move will assist members in the integration and analysis of cyber security information, facilitating easier and faster acquisition of required information by experts and timely dissemination of the information to the public.

     The Cybersec Infohub is managed by the OGCIO with funding support from TechConnect (Block Vote) under the Innovation and Technology Bureau. The OGCIO also held today the first Members Professional Workshop, in which information security experts enlightened members on the contemporary cyber threat trends, a case study and cyber security benchmarking. In future, the OGCIO will continue to organise different seminars and workshops to promote mutual trust and collaboration among members and the cyber security information sharing culture.