Hong Kong is reportedly barring its government employees from using popular apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Google Drive on their work computers. According to news agency AP, the ban comes amidst potential security risks. The Hong Kong government, as per the report, has issued IT security guidelines which have many civil servants complaining about added inconvenience.
For those unaware, data breaches at various Hong Kong government departments earlier this year compromised the personal information of at least tens of thousands of people, sparking concerns.
What the IT guidelines say
Issued by Hong Kong’s Digital Policy Office, the guidelines bar government workers from using apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Google Drive on their official laptops/PCs. However, they will still be allowed to use the services from personal devices at work. The report says that government workers can get exceptions to the ban with approval from a manager.
Reactions to the new policy
The report quotes Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, who said that the ban is needed as hacking is becoming a more serious problem. He said the governments of the United States and China have also adopted stringent measures for their internal computer systems.
On the contrary, Anthony Lai, director of VX Research Limited, a Hong Kong and Britain-based cybersecurity firm said the government’s approach is appropriate due to low cybersecurity awareness among some staff and a lack of comprehensive internal monitoring systems. The AP report further quotes an anonymous civil servant who said her office often uses cloud storage services to exchange large files with vendors outside the government.
