Police will review the procedures for handling personal data. Those found to have failed to conform to official guidelines will face disciplinary action.

Security chief Ambrose Lee and police chief Tang King-shing made the remarks after news reports reviewed that classified government documents were leaked onto the Internet through file-sharing program Foxy.

Documents that were readily accessible to Internet users between last Friday and Monday included a report by an undercover detective who bought illegal drugs in a disco last January and another investigation report of a theft containing personal information such as identity card numbers of the victims.

According to media reports, three junior police officers who had taken computer files home without approval were found responsible for the data leakage. Their personal computers were installed with the Foxy program.

Police documents were still accessible through the program yesterday, including testimony with personal particulars of police officers involved.

Earlier this month, 29 files belonging to the Immigration Department were leaked onto the Internet through the same software.

Lee told reporters that the government was highly concerned about the incident.

"The police are investigating the incident and reviewing the internal guidelines on computer use and data handling," he said. "We do not encourage our staff to read documents from work on their own computers or take home classified documents. We have strict procedures governing the handling of classified documents."

Lee added that none of the computers in government disciplinary departments are installed with the Foxy program.

"A comprehensive review on the use of personal data and computers, including personal computers, will be conducted. Officers found violating the guidelines will face disciplinary action," Tang said.

Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Co-ordination Centre manager Roy Ko Wai-tak said investigation into the leakage could be difficult as the program does not disclose sources of uploaded files.

He advised Internet users shut off the program when handling classified documents, and install anti-virus software in the computers.

Internet Society of Hong Kong chairman Charles Mok said most of the file-sharing programs available for free download are infected with computer virus and Trojan (a destructive computer program).

"It is almost impossible for users to modify settings of these programs to ensure 100 percent protection," he said. "The best way to avoid any leakage is to stop using these programs."

(HK Edition 05/28/2008 page1)