Hong Kong recorded 21,573 technology-crime cases from January to September 2026, down 11.5% on the same period a year earlier, but ransomware cases rose from 34 to 40. About 80% of the overall cases involved online fraud. Losses fell by about 15% to roughly HK$3.9 billion, according to the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau.
The bureau’s senior superintendent linked the ransomware increase to criminals using generative or automated artificial intelligence to help launch attacks. He said the technology could lower the cost and technical skill needed, while making attacks faster, more numerous and more capable of breaking into systems.
Police found more than 44,000 high-risk cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nine-month period. These included 37,950 linked to Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and 6,083 involving websites built with PHP. Police warned that hackers could exploit unpatched weaknesses to break into company websites, take data or spread malicious software.
Outdated firewall firmware was found at 65 schools, which police said could leave them at risk of hacking. Police contacted the schools and offered technical support to update the firmware and fix vulnerabilities.
Police advised organisations to restrict access to remote-desktop systems, scan for vulnerabilities and patch them, keep regular backups that include offline copies, update software and use two-factor authentication for online accounts.