EMSD temporarily suspends some online services due to cyber incident
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     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (May 20) announced that due to abnormality found in the network system, it was suspected that part of the system has been hacked. For prudence's sake, the following online services have been suspended.
      
  •      Registration and Permit Office Appointment Booking;
  •      Online Continuous Professional Development Training Platform for Registered Electrical Workers; and
  •      Electronic platform for lift and escalator trade.
      
     A spokesman for the EMSD said, "We are very concerned about the incident. Initial investigation revealed that no leakage of personal data has been found. For prudence's sake, we will notify persons concerned. In case of suspicious circumstances, they should report to the Police as soon as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will resume the services affected as soon as possible."
      
     The spokesman stressed that the EMSD's information system complied with the Government's IT Security Guidelines. The EMSD has further strengthened the network security of the computer system to ensure no recurrence of similar incidents.
      
     The case has been reported to the Security Bureau, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force.
      
     Until the online services resume, members of the public or the trade can access the services through the following channels.
 
Registration and Permit Office Appointment Booking Relevant persons can submit the application documents by mail or in person at the Registration and Permit Office of the EMSD Headquarters, or submit applications via the "EMSD (Regulatory Services) Online Registration Service" and "iAM Smart+" mobile application.
Online Continuous Professional Development Training Platform for Registered Electrical Workers Relevant persons can attend the training courses at the EMSD Headquarters.
Electronic platform for lift and escalator trade EMSD will provide electronic forms to the registered contractors for submitting the required information.

     For enquiries, please contact the EMSD hotline on 2333 3762.

Ends/Saturday, May 20, 2023
Issued at HKT 22:52

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