Macao gov't collects public opinion on cybersecurity draft bill

MACAO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government started on Monday a public consultation on a proposal for a cybersecurity bill, which is designed to be the backbone to help protect the security of SAR's digital technology infrastructure, the Information Bureau of the SAR government said on Monday.

Macao's Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak told press on Monday that the role of relevant public departments in the cybersecurity bill would be confined to providing safety advice and alerts, in the event that any irregular flow of data were to be detected or were there to be any threats originating via the Internet.

Unless approved by the judiciary, public departments would neither analyze nor seek to decode any security-encrypted content posted online, he added.

According to the Information Bureau, the 45-day consultation period runs until Jan. 24, during which five consultation sessions for civil groups and three sessions open to the public will be held to explain government's proposal for the bill and hear the views of interested parties.

The envisaged law would specify the responsibilities of particular entities in maintaining the safety of critical infrastructure relating to the city's information technology and other cyber systems.

It would also outline who or what would be responsible for management of any irregularities, risk evaluation, issuing stages of alert, prevention and monitoring of any threat in cyberspace of Macao. Enditem