Theft Of OGCIO Phones Reported

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) today announced the suspected theft of two mobile phones used to monitor people under compulsory home quarantine.

The OGCIO has reported the incident to Police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.

It informed those affected and reminded them to remove contacts with the two mobile phones. They were also advised to notify the OGCIO and follow up with Police if they receive any suspicious calls.

The case was brought to light on February 18 when OGCIO staff conducted an inventory check of all 170 phones.

The two mobile phones were used at the temporary communication centre set up by the OGCIO at the Customs Headquarters in North Point to ensure people under quarantine had been staying in their dwelling places.

People under quarantine are requested to share their real-time locations and conduct video calls through mobile applications.

A total of 122 people had been contacted via the two mobile phones for monitoring purposes. Names, telephone numbers, shared locations and photos of these people are stored on the phones. There are no detailed addresses on them.

The OGCIO expressed regret over the incident and offered its sincerest apologies to those affected.

The mobile phones are password-protected with encrypted information, the OGCIO said, adding it has terminated their communication services.

It also immediately stepped up information security to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.