The APWG Counter eCrime Operations Summit Assembles Cybercrime Fighters in Hong Kong with HKIRC to Plan Global Agenda Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation to discuss cyber-attacks and counter-measures

HONG KONG, 2 April 2014 –The 8th annual Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Counter eCrime Operations Summit (CeCOS VIII) will assemble in Hong Kong, April 8-10, 2014, firstly collaborating with Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) as a local partner for the event. This year, CeCOS VIII will gather global leaders from the financial services, technology, government, law enforcement, communications sectors and research centers to map the cybercrime threatscape – and plot a unified global response.As the number of Internet users grow worldwide, the chances of falling victims to cybercrime follows suit. According to the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT), a total of 471 security alert cases were issued on websites in 2013, representing a 10% increase compared to 2012, and an on-going increase since 2009. However, data from HKIRC found that the total number of recorded .hk spammvertising and phishing cases reduced to a mere seven cases in 2013, a 42% decrease from 2012.

“We are vigilant against the potential threat of malicious websites, collaborating with many local parties to take stringent measures against those are identified as fraudulent .hk websites”, said Jonathan Shea, CEO of HKIRC “HKIRC consistently promotes .hk secure measures, specifically launching .hk LOCK in January this year to enhance the security of .hk domain names. Most importantly, we work closely with other organisations like APWG to promote the development of a safe internet environment.”

“In this day-and-age, cybercrime gangs’ fraud schemes would put the best marketing departments to shame,” said APWG Secretary General Peter Cassidy. “The precision of technical attacks today previously could have only been managed by the largest research labs, the most expert developers, or state-sponsored organizations with deep pockets. When the bad guys achieve the technical sophistication of nation states and corporate labs, you know it’s time to get organised.”

At the summit, APWG CeCOS VIII will review the development of response paradigms and resources for counter-cybercrime managers and forensic professionals in the private and public sectors. Presenters will review case studies of national and regional economies under attack, narratives of successful trans-national forensic cooperation – while considering models for cooperation against ecrime and examine resources for cybercrime response and forensic enterprises.

HKIRC’s representative will be one of the keynote speakers and present the topic on “Cyber-attacks Using the DNS and Counter-measures” on 9 April. The working agenda of the Summit can be found at: http://apwg.org/apwg-events/cecos2014/agenda

For more information, please visit: http://apwg.org/apwg-events/cecos2014/

About HKIRCHong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) is a non-profit-distributing, non-statutory company limited by guarantee designated by the Government of the HKSAR to undertake the administration of Internet domain names under the .hk and .香港 country code top level domain. HKIRC provides registration services for English domain names ending with .com.hk, .org.hk, .net.hk, .edu.hk, .gov.hk, .idv.hk, .hk and Chinese domain names ending with .公司.香港, .組織.香港, .網絡.香港, .教育.香港, .政府.香港, .個人.香港, .香港, and other domains to be introduced from time to time in Hong Kong.

About the APWGThe APWG, www.apwg.org, founded in 2003 as the Anti-Phishing Working Group, is the global industry, law enforcement, and government coalition unifying the global response to electronic crime. More than 2,000 companies, government agencies and NGOs participate in the APWG worldwide.

Media Contacts:

HKIRC
Dorothy Chow / Stan Yuen
Tel : + 852 2319 3883 / 2319 3828
Fax : + 852 2319 2626
Email : marketing@hkirc.hk

HKIRC
Peter Cassidy
Tel : +1 617 669 1123
Email : pcassidy@apwg.org