Sony's FeliCa chip has recently been found to have security vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to steal data, affecting older models shipped before 2017. This chip is widely used in transportation cards around the world, including Hong Kong's Octopus card, which adopted it as early as 1997. Honorary President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, Francis Fong, stated that the public need not worry, as the Octopus card has implemented various encryption and authentication technologies, ensuring that data remains very secure.
Japanese tech giant Sony issued a warning regarding its FeliCa chip, which is extensively used in global contactless payment systems. Some older models shipped before 2017 have security vulnerabilities that could potentially allow hackers to steal data. The FeliCa technology is used in transportation cards across many countries, including Japan's Suica and Singapore's EZ-Link. Hong Kong's Octopus card was the first to adopt this technology in 1997.
In response, Octopus stated that customers have not been affected by the incident and can continue to use their Octopus cards with peace of mind. The balance and customer information on the cards are well protected, and the company emphasized that it has implemented multiple stringent security measures and regularly commissions third-party audits.
Francis Fong: Additional Encryption and Authentication Technologies Have Been Implemented
Honorary President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, Francis Fong, highlighted that if hackers were to successfully obtain data through illegal means, they could access customers' transportation and spending records and even transfer the balance from the cards. However, he reassured the public that the Octopus card has additional encryption and authentication technologies in place, ensuring data security.
Octopus: No Customers Affected by This Issue
Octopus confirmed that it received a security incident report regarding specific FeliCa chip models from Sony. They emphasized that customers have not been affected and can continue using their Octopus cards confidently, with their balances and personal information securely protected.
Octopus stated that its entire system, including the Octopus card, card readers, and backend systems, has always employed multiple stringent security measures and regularly engages third parties for security audits to ensure transaction safety and protect customers.
Additionally, Octopus mentioned that monitoring suspicious activities within the system is a crucial part of daily operations. They have established a regular and comprehensive reporting mechanism to ensure that any anomalies can be quickly addressed in collaboration with relevant regulatory and law enforcement agencies for investigation and resolution.
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