14 DAY TRIAL // The winner of Miss Hong Kong was supposed to be picked out based on the online votes made by those who watched the pageant on TV. However, hackers attacked the website, forcing organizers to leave the decision in the hands of the panel of judges.
Microsoft – the company in charge with the voting platform – identified some suspicious activity during the time when users where supposed to be voting, The Register reports.
“Within the 15-minute voting period, the system already recorded unusual data traffic which was many times higher than the original expectation. This was substantially higher than the total number of people watching the program and also the total population of Hong Kong,” the company’s representatives said.
While they confirm that this was most likely the work of a malicious hacker, they highlight the fact no personal details were compromised as a result of the attack.