HKCNSA Symposium 2025 was successfully held , Advancing AI-Era Cybersecurity Governance and Critical Infrastructure Protection
- 秘書處
- Jul 3
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
On June 26, 2025, the “HKCNSA Symposium 2025” organized by the Hong Kong China Network Security Association (HKCNSA) was successfully concluded at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. Under the theme "Navigating Challenges and Opportunities at the Crossroads of Innovation and Regulation," the event brought together over 500 participants from government, industry, and academia to explore the evolving landscape of cybersecurity in the age of artificial intelligence.
The symposium started with remarks from Mr. David Ip, Founding Chairman of HKCNSA, who emphasized the urgent need for Hong Kong to build a cyber-resilient framework in response to the rapid technological advancements and increasingly complex cyber threats. He highlighted the Association’s growth over the past 18 months, with more than 350 member organizations spanning technology, finance, healthcare, and education sectors. Mr. Ip reaffirmed HKCNSA’s commitment to strengthening collaboration across the Greater Bay Area and contributing to the secure development of the national digital economy.
Mr. Francis Chan, Assistant Director for Critical Infrastructure at the Security Bureau, HKSAR Government, pointed out in his speech that the “Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Ordinance” will come into effect in 2026, marking a new chapter in Hong Kong's cybersecurity ecosystem. He encouraged operating organizations to design protective measures based on their own risks and to continuously improve beyond baseline requirements. The government will release a draft of practical guidelines in July this year and will establish a dedicated office in 2026 to promote the implementation of the CIO and CCS systems. He emphasized that the regulations are not intended for punishment, but rather to build a strong defense for Hong Kong's digital stability through partnership cooperation.
Mr. Daniel Cheung, Deputy Commissioner for Digital Infrastructure at the Digital Policy Office, indicated that to promote the development of the artificial intelligence ecosystem, the government is implementing an AI funding program to support local institutions, research and development organizations, government departments, and enterprises in effectively utilizing the computing power provided by the Cyberport Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Center (Supercomputing Center) to drive research breakthroughs. In the meantime, he emphasized that innovation must be based on safety. The Digital Policy Office has released the 'Ethical Artificial Intelligence Framework' and the 'Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Technical and Application Guideline' for organizations to refer to when adopting artificial intelligence and big data analytics. Furthermore, the Digital Policy Office will continue to hold the 'Hong Kong Cybersecurity Attack and Defense Drill' this year to enhance the defense capabilities of government departments and public institutions.
Mr. Raymond Lam, Chief Superintendent of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force, analyzed the strategic preparations of AI-driven cyber security governance. He pointed out that Hong Kong is actively building a trustworthy cyber security ecosystem and is enhancing overall defense capabilities through public-private collaboration, international cooperation, proactive intelligence gathering, and legislative advancement. He also emphasized the crucial role of AI technology in predictive protection, anomaly detection, and automated response.
The morning session continued with a panel discussion titled “Balancing Values and Risks in the Age of AI,” moderated by Mr. Terry Leung, General Manager of HCL Software, North Asia. Panelists included Mr. Horace Chu, Senior Adviser of HKCNSA, Mr. Keith Ip, Chief Technology Officer at Li & Fung Trading, Mr. Alex Wong, General Manager-Corporate Information Technology at Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited and Mr. Louis Mah, Director - Information Technology at Maxim’s Group, who explored strategies for balancing productivity and compliance risks in generative AI adoption.
A second panel, “How Private & Public Sectors Protect Their Critical Infrastructure?,” was moderated by Mr. Wilson Tang, Vice Chairman of HKCNSA, and featured Mr. Rick Chan, Senior Systems Manager (Project Governance and Cybersecurity) of Digital Policy Office; Mr. Isaiah Wong, Head of Cybersecurity Department at The Bank of East Asia, Limited; Mr. Eric Wong, Member of Critical Infrastructure Committee of HKCNSA; and Michael Lau, Senior IT Manager - Security at Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited. The panel proposed actionable strategies for the 2026 ordinance, including comprehensive attack surface assessments and supply chain security certification systems. Mr. Qun Zhang, General Manager of Technology at Hillstone Networks, delivered a keynote titled “Dual-Engine Drives a New Era of Cybersecurity (ASIC + AI Strategy),” introducing a hybrid architecture combining ASIC acceleration and AI strategy through open XDR solutions.
The final morning panel, “Cyber Policing in GBA,” was conducted in Mandarin and moderated by Mr. Newton Yiu, Senior Legal Counsel at Tencent. Panelists included Mr. Felton Leung, Chief Inspector of Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force; Mr. Kalvin Lam, Vice Chairman of HKCNSA, Mr. Yong’ao Tong, Senior Engineer and Member of Chengdu Cybersecurity Expert Committee ; and Mr. Jianhui Wang, Director of the Intelligence Center at Chengdu Nosugar Information Technology Co., Ltd, who discussed cross-border enforcement mechanisms and data-sharing platforms. Mr. We Siang Lim, Sales Engineering Manager at SailPoint, delivered a keynote speech titled “Beyond Boundaries: Redefining ldentity Security for the Modern Enterprise,” demonstrating how AI-driven dynamic access control systems can balance compliance and security in modern enterprises.
Following the appointment of new committee directors and advisors, the afternoon session began with two parallel tracks. The first panel, “AI in Cybersecurity - The Double-Edged Sword,” was moderated by Ms. Silvia Ihensekhien, Vice Chairlady of HKCNSA, and featured Mr. Darron Sun, Head of Information Technology at the Hong Kong Housing Society; Mr. Kanth Kolluru, Head of IT Infrastructure and IT Security at Pacific Basin Shipping (HK) Limited; Ms. Bianca Ho, Director of Information Technology at Swire Hotels Group; and Mr. Fong Wai Cheuk, Senior Solutions Engineer at Splunk , who analyzed emerging threats and defense strategies related to generative AI.
Following the panels, Mr. Chris Wong, Principal Systems Engineer Lead for Channels & Alliances (Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan & Mongolia) at Veeam Software, delivered a keynote speech titled “Secure Your Homegrown AI Applications.” presented “Secure Your Homegrown AI Applications,” offering practical strategies to address data sensitivity, AI hallucinations, and ransomware threats through RAG architecture and Veeam’s backup technologies. The next keynote was delivered by Mr. Ken Wong, Senior CIIP Expert for Hong Kong and Macau at F5, titled “Meeting CIIP Mandates: Reducing Risk, Ensuring Resilience.” He emphasized the importance of continuous threat monitoring platforms in addressing supply chain attacks and API security, and outlined a compliance roadmap for the upcoming Critical Infrastructure Protection Ordinance.
The second panel, “Strategic Preparation for Multi-faceted Challenges from Technological Innovation and Regulations,” was moderated by Mr. Frankie Tam, Director of the Cyber Legal Policy Committee of HKCNSA, and joined by Mr. John Wan, Senior Manager of Information Security Assurance at the Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr. Darren Khor, Member of HKCNSA; Mr. Derek Watterud, Vice President of Resort Technology at MGM; and Mr. Eric Lai, Regional Manager for Hong Kong and Macau at Akamai Technologies, who discussed global AI regulatory frameworks and cross-border data contract design.
Following the panels, Mr. Wilson Tang, Vice Chairman of HKCNSA, then presented a forward-looking keynote titled “2026 & 2027 Predictions on AI and Cybersecurity Challenges in Hong Kong,” highlighting legal liability in autonomous AI decision-making, deepfake scams, and behavioral chain analytics. Mr. Patrick Sung, Senior SASE Architect at Cato Networks, followed with a keynote titled “What Value can AI/ML Bring to SASE to Enhance User Experience and Security,” demonstrating how AI/ML enhances user experience, strengthens security, and supports intelligent configuration in digital transformation.
The final technical panel of the day was moderated by Mr. Ricky Leung, Deputy Director of Cyber Security & Analytics at the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), and joined by Mr. Stanley Wong, Chief Information Security Officer at Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited; Prof. Allen Au, Professor and Associate Head (Research and Development) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Mr. Sankar VS, Director at Arup; and Mr. Frankie Wong, Senior Cyber Intelligence Manager at CLP Holdings Limited. The panel focused on “Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Standardization and Migration,” discussing quantum threats, global standards (e.g., NIST FIPS 203–205), and enterprise migration strategies.
The symposium concluded with “Why Responsible AI is a Must – Mitigating Data Privacy Risks in 2025,” moderated by Ms. Chandy Ye, Vice Chairlady of HKCNSA, and joined by Mr. Vincent Ng, Mr. William Tam, and Mr. Adam Au, Members of the Data Privacy Committee of HKCNSA. The panel explored algorithm audits, synthetic data traceability, and dynamic compliance monitoring.
HKCNSA extends its sincere gratitude to all speakers, sponsors, and participants for their support. The Association will continue to support government cybersecurity initiatives, promote cross-border collaboration and industry innovation, and build a secure and trustworthy digital economy. HKCNSA welcomes all stakeholders to join the Association and contribute to the advancement of cybersecurity in Hong Kong and beyond.
