Hong Kong exams authority reports data leak of 16,900 mainland applicants
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority said on 30 October that personal data of about 16,900 mainland residents who applied for two international exams was leaked. The data includes names, dates of birth and email addresses. Police and the privacy watchdog have been notified.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) said on Wednesday 30 October that it had discovered the leak of personal data belonging to about 16,900 mainland residents who had applied for two international examinations. The compromised information includes names, dates of birth and email addresses.
The HKEAA said it had reported the incident to the police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, and would fully co-operate with all investigations. The authority stressed that the affected system was used only for a small number of international exams. Separate systems are used for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination and the vast majority of other international tests, and there is no evidence that those exams have been affected.
The HKEAA apologised to those affected and said it would take all feasible measures to minimise the impact. It has informed the relevant exam organisers and is working on arrangements to notify the individuals whose data was leaked.
The authority added that it would continue to review the security of all its information systems, strengthen protections and monitoring, and take further appropriate action depending on the findings of the investigation.