Hong Kong SFC Issues Circular to Licensed Financial Firms to Strengthen Cybersecurity Measures on Threats by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Including Measures to Protect Systems, Safeguard Client Information & Client Assets and Incident Responses & Recovery, Hong Kong Cyberattacks Incidents Increased +27% to 15,877 Cases in 2025
3rd June 2026 | Hong Kong
Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued a circular to licensed financial firms to strengthen cybersecurity measures on threats by artificial intelligence (AI) including measures to protect systems, safeguard client information & client assets and incident responses & recovery. Hong Kong cyberattacks incidents increased +27% to 15,877 cases in 2025. Announcement (2/6/26): “The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) today issued a circular calling upon licensed firms to strengthen their cybersecurity measures against emerging threats enabled by frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models (Note 1). The AI-enabled cyber threats came to the fore as cyberattacks continued to evolve locally and globally. Notably, Hong Kong recorded a double-digit increase in overall cyberattack incidents last year (Note 2). Against this backdrop, the SFC warns in the circular that fast-advancing frontier AI models have the potential to enable more frequent, targeted and sophisticated cyberattacks, which could result in significant operational disruptions and risks for licensed firms, their staff and clients. The SFC also noted that recent advancements in AI have made it easier for malicious actors to identify and exploit system vulnerabilities at a faster pace, coordinate attacks across multiple interconnected systems and orchestrate large-scale attacks. At the same time, the proliferation of AI-enabled tools lowers the barriers for them to engage in phishing, social engineering, deepfake impersonation and reconnaissance. Consequently, licensed firms are exposed to heightened cybersecurity risks. In today’s circular, the SFC urges licensed firms, especially internet brokers and virtual asset trading platforms, to implement robust and up-to-date measures to protect their systems, prevent confidential client information from unauthorised access or disclosure, and safeguard client assets against misappropriation. In addition, the SFC sets out areas for licensed firms to review and enhance their cybersecurity frameworks to ensure they remain up-to-date and effective. These areas include patching and vulnerability management, detection and monitoring measures, as well as incident response and recovery. The SFC will continue to engage with the industry, technology service providers and local and overseas regulators on this issue. As part of its ongoing efforts, the SFC will organise webinars to raise industry awareness, conduct thematic reviews to assess licensed firms’ preparedness and resilience in responding to cybersecurity incidents and attacks, and take appropriate supervisory action in response to these evolving risks.”
“ Hong Kong SFC Issues Circular to Licensed Financial Firms to Strengthen Cybersecurity Measures on Threats by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Including Measures to Protect Systems, Safeguard Client Information & Client Assets and Incident Responses & Recovery, Hong Kong Cyberattacks Incidents Increased +27% to 15,877 Cases in 2025 “
![](https://www.caproasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Air-Charter-Service-728x90-1.png")
Notes:
- “Licensed firms” collectively refer to licensed corporations, SFC-licensed virtual asset service providers and their associated entities.
- Cyberattack incidents increased 27% to 15,877 in 2025 from 12,536 in 2024 according to data from the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre.
Hong Kong SFC Issues Circular to Licensed Financial Firms to Strengthen Cybersecurity Measures on Threats by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Including Measures to Protect Systems, Safeguard Client Information & Client Assets and Incident Responses & Recovery, Hong Kong Cyberattacks Incidents Increased +27% to 15,877 Cases in 2025
Caproasia Users
- Manage $20 million to $30 billion of assets
- Invest $3 million to $300 million
- Advise institutions, billionaires, UHNWs & HNWs
Caproasia Platforms | 11,000 Investors & Advisors
- Caproasia.com
- Caproasia Access
- Caproasia Events
- The Financial Centre | Find Services
- Membership
- Family Office Circle
- Professional Investor Circle
- Investor Relations Network
Monthly Roundtable & Networking
Family Office Programs
The 2026 Investment Day
- March - Hong Kong
- March - Singapore
- April - Hong Kong
- April - Singapore
- July - Hong Kong
- July - Singapore
- Sept- Hong Kong
- Sept - Singapore
- Oct- Hong Kong
- Nov - Singapore
- Visit: The Investment Day | Register: Click here
Caproasia Summits
- The Institutional Investor Summit
- The Investment / Alternatives Summit
- The Private Wealth Summit
- The Family Office Summit
- The CEO & Entrepreneur Summit
- The Capital Markets Summit
- The ESG / Sustainable Investment Summit
