​A spokesman for the Fire Services Department (FSD) said today (May 6) that the department discovered a potential personal data leakage incident on one of the IT system on May 3, while there is no evidence that relevant data have been released.
As revealed by the preliminary investigation, the FSD believes that the incident happened when the outsourced contractor handled the data migration procedure. During the process, the access right of the data was found altered without authorisation, posing a potential risk of data leakage. The data includes the surnames and telephone numbers of approximately 480 members of the public, who had reported tree collapse incidents during the Super Typhoon Saola on September 2, 2023. The data also includes personal information of about 5 000 FSD members, including their names, telephone numbers, ranks and numbers, and their postings. Among them, 960 members' incomplete identity card numbers are also involved.
The FSD has instantly contacted the outsourced contractor responsible for the system, and requested immediate suspension of the system and all of its contract jobs. The contractor's access right to the system is withdrawn to prevent data leakage. The FSD and the contractor is conducting a comprehensive review of the incident and stepping up the protective measures to prevent similar incidents. The department has also reported the incident to the Police, the Security Bureau, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.
The FSD expresses sincere apologies for the incident. The FSD has notified the affected members of the public through SMS or phone calls. In case of suspicious circumstances, they should report to the Police as soon as possible. For enquiries, please call the FSD's hotline at 2723 8787 or email to hkfsdenq@hkfsd.gov.hk.
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