On 19 March 2025, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council enacted the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Bill, which was gazetted as the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Ordinance (Cap. 653) on 28 March 2025. The Ordinance, which is set to take effect on 1 January 2026, aims to enhance cybersecurity standards in relation to the providers of essential services in eight sectors deemed crucial to the normal functioning of the society, namely energy, information technology, banking and financial services, air transport, land transport, maritime transport, healthcare services, and telecommunications and broadcasting services, as well as critical societal or economic activities (such as those managing major sports and performance venues, as well as research and development parks) in Hong Kong.

While this article was published, the Security Bureau of the Hong Kong Government announced that the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (Computer System) Bill will be gazetted on Friday, 6 December 2024, and will be introduced into the Legislative Council for First Reading and Second Reading on 11 December 2024. We will provide an update on further developments.

Since the coming into force of Malaysia Cyber Security Act 2024 (“CSA”) on 26 August 2024, there have been substantial developments in the landscape in the past few months.

On 25 June 2024, the Government proposed to enact a new piece of cybersecurity legislation, tentatively entitled the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (Computer System) Bill, to enhance the protection of computer systems of critical infrastructures (CIs). On 2 July 2024, the proposed legislative framework was tabled to the Legislative Council Panel on Security for consultation. The proposed legislation would require CI operators to fulfill certain statutory obligations and take appropriate measures to strengthen the security of their critical computer systems and minimize the chance of essential services being disrupted or compromised due to cyberattacks.