Member of the Month Mr. Ben Fung | Embedding Cybersecurity into Strategy: A Real Estate Technologist’s Perspective

This month, we are proud to feature Mr. Ben Fung, Senior Associate Director of Information Technology and Solutions at Chinachem Group. With a career spanning leading real estate firms and a strong track record in digital transformation, Ben shares how he is helping to reshape the role of IT in Hong Kong’s evolving property sector.

From IT Delivery to Strategic Enablement

Ben’s recent transition to Chinachem Group marked a pivotal shift—from delivering technology to shaping business strategy. “This role has given me a broader strategic lens and a stronger voice in aligning IT with long-term goals,” he reflects.

As digital awareness grows across the organization, Ben emphasizes the importance of prioritization. With business units increasingly bringing forward requests related to automation, analytics, and customer experience, the IT team must carefully evaluate which initiatives truly align with the company’s strategic direction and deliver measurable value. This shift has also required a heightened sensitivity to external changes. In a city undergoing economic transformation, and with evolving expectations from tenants, investors, and regulators, Ben believes IT must be designed with flexibility in mind—ready to support rapid pivots, whether in response to ESG requirements, emerging technologies like AI, or new digital channels.

Ultimately, Ben sees his role not just as a technology leader, but as a strategic partner—helping the business navigate complexity, seize opportunities, and build resilience through smart, scalable, and secure digital solutions.

Building Trust Through Cybersecurity

Under Ben’s leadership, Chinachem Group recently achieved ISO/IEC 27001 certification—a milestone that reflects the company’s commitment to data security and operational resilience. For a real estate group, implementing global security standards presented unique challenges. Security touches every part of the business, from leasing and property management to HR and marketing. Aligning these diverse teams required strong communication, change management, and executive sponsorship.

Cost management was another key consideration. Compliance with ISO 27001 involves investments in technology, training, audits, and sometimes reengineering legacy processes. Ben and his team had to strike a careful balance between strengthening the company’s security posture and maintaining financial discipline. At the same time, they had to ensure that security controls did not hinder operational efficiency, especially in a sector where speed and responsiveness are critical.

Despite these challenges, the certification has opened up important opportunities. It supports Chinachem’s ESG goals by reinforcing the “Governance” pillar, demonstrating accountability and responsible data stewardship. It also positions the company ahead of evolving cybersecurity regulations, both locally and globally. Most importantly, it builds trust with tenants, investors, and partners—reassuring stakeholders that Chinachem takes data privacy and cyber risks seriously.

For Ben, the journey to certification was not just about compliance. It was about embedding a security-first mindset into the company’s culture and operations—laying a foundation for future innovation.

A Vision for the Future

Reflecting on his journey from Link REIT to Chinachem Group, Ben sees the future of digital transformation in real estate as both promising and complex. The industry has moved beyond basic digitization to embracing smart buildings, AI, and data-driven decision-making. But with innovation comes risk. Talent shortages are pushing firms toward automation, yet the speed of adoption often outpaces the maturity of security controls. This makes it critical to embed cybersecurity into the earliest stages of digital initiatives.

Ben also highlights a growing need for cybersecurity professionals who understand the unique nature of real estate operations. Building systems, IoT devices, and property workflows require a different lens than traditional IT environments. Bridging this gap is essential to ensure that security strategies are not only technically sound but also operationally practical.

Looking ahead, Ben believes the industry must adopt a more holistic and proactive approach—one that integrates cybersecurity into ESG frameworks, aligns with emerging regulations, and prioritizes stakeholder trust. He advocates for a shift from reactive defense to predictive security models, where resilience is built into the DNA of every digital initiative.