CP Tsang at the Asia Cyber Crime Summit

Commissioner Tsang Yam-pui called on police forces and the information technology industry worldwide to unite in the fight against cyber crime.

In his opening speech for the first Asia Cyber Crime Summit held at Hong Kong University on April 25, Mr Tsang outlined developments in the Force's own professional investigative capabilities into computer crime.

"However, the strength of localised enforcement action alone will not effectively tackle the global nature of the problems we are likely to face in this area.

"Only through international support and co-operation from overseas law enforcement agencies, the IT industry and other interested parties, can cyber crime be fully addressed." He said computer crime in Hong Kong rose from 34 cases in 1998, to 368 last year.

"This upsurge corresponds directly with the rapid growth in Internet usage here," he added.

"There are currently about 200 Internet Service Providers in Hong Kong as opposed to 56 in 1995, whilst 2.5 million Internet users exist here today, as opposed to 600,000 at the beginning of 1999."

Mr Tsang said the Government had formed an inter-departmental working group to study the strengthening of laws to help hinder computer crime. He added that initial recommendations had been made on a range of matters, including jurisdictional issues, data protection, ISP assistance, the private sector's role and the need for legislative changes.

Participants in the two-day summit included representatives from the Mainland, Japanese, Malaysian, Singaporean and Australian police, and the IT and intellectual property industries.

These along with the Department of Justice, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Customs and Excise Department and Security Bureau, as well as Director of Crime and Security Louis Lau Chun-sing.

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