The government on Friday said it is highly concerned about a large-scale IT outage involving Microsoft systems, saying officials will keep a close watch on developments and prepare to react accordingly.

In a statement, the government said the Deputy Chief Secretary will be responsible for monitoring the situation, adding that the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer has been in touch with Microsoft, urging it to assist affected companies, and come up with remedial measures as soon as possible.

It said government systems are running normally for the time being, and that the Airport Authority has triggered an emergency response mechanism to minimise disruptions to passengers.

The Hong Kong Productivity Council’s Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT), meanwhile, called on people to back up their important data to prevent information loss.

It advised organisations to enable offline access for applications and documents as well to minimise interruptions to everyday operation.

The response team also reminded firms to come up with contingency plans in case similar incidents happen again.