Hong Kong watchdog sets integrity standards for government computers to fight misuse

Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has released guidelines for the use of government computer systems, aiming to combat potential misuse. Commissioner Danny Woo Ying-ming revealed that an investigation had uncovered loopholes in procedures, which could lead to corruption and damage the government's integrity.

Under the Digital Policy Office's mandate, all government bureaus and departments must now assess their computer systems' compliance with the standards when requesting funds from the Capital Works Reserve Fund for administrative computer systems.

The integrity assurance standards consist of 12 steps focusing on users, system administration, and monitoring. These measures are designed to prevent unauthorized data access, weak due diligence, rule circumvention, and over-reliance on manual steps that could be prone to manipulation.

Acting Technology Minister Lillian Cheong Man-lei emphasized the need to balance safety and development when implementing digital measures. She stated that by incorporating integrity elements early on, government organizations could preempt corruption and enhance citizens' trust in their digital initiatives.

Key provisions of the standards include clearly defining access rights, granting staff access based on operational needs, and utilizing secure access methods like two-factor authentication. To prevent data tampering, government organizations are advised to employ watermarks, encryption measures, and blockchain technologies. Manual processes, such as checking and sampling, are also discouraged due to their susceptibility to manipulation.

The ICAC underlined the importance of electronic conflict-of-interest declarations and automatic repetitive data processing to ensure compliance and prevent corruption risks.