Hong Kong Government Loses Laptops Containing Personal Data of 3.7 Million Voters

New submitter fatp writes: Hong Kong Free Press reports that the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) has lost two laptops containing the personal data of all 3.7 million voters after the chief executive election [on Sunday]. The REO said "the personal data was encrypted and there was no evidence that it had been leaked." Only 1,194 people had right to vote in the election.

Re: HK EQUALS CHINA

[dougdonovan]

anyone heard of the cloud.

Re:

[Highdude702]

The only thing more insecure than walking around China with millions of voters personal info on laptops. Lol

Poorly worded summary

[Anonymous Coward]

The article doesn't state only a subset can actually vote but that the data loss also contained their equivalent to the electoral college's full names as well.

the 1194 votes

[SYSS Mouse]

The election committee has 1200 people, which covers a variety of official posts, industry representatives, etc. Some are ex officio (e.g. Legislative Council members) . Three member posts are vacant and three members are overlapped (i.e. hold mulitple posts due to their ex officio posts).

Re:

[_Sharp'r_]

Thanks for explaining what "Only 1,194 people had right to vote in the election." was apparently supposed to mean.

Maybe next time we can get the summary written in English.... I know, new here.

Re:

[quenda]

The telephone book analogy is close.
As in other modern societies, the electoral roll is a public record. It contains no secrets. But we still don't want telemarketers getting hold of it.

Re:

[sheramil]

Interestingly enough, Hong Kong is almost entirely hills, and yet is not festooned with bare-foot bearded guys with shotguns guarding their moonshine stills, strumming banjos or contemplating their nearer relatives with a view to marriage.

Bigly

[Tablizer]

Just build a Great Firewall and make the mainland pay for it.