Over two decades, the IT sector has evolved from a standalone services market into one of the key drivers of macroeconomic stability. It’s still often described as a volatile and contradictory space — dotcoms, bubbles, AI hype, promises the market doesn’t always have time to put to the test. But something else has been unfolding in parallel. The digital industry is turning into a source of innovation, foreign currency earnings, high-skilled employment, tax revenue, services exports, and the technological modernization of other sectors.
In January 2024, an employee at the Hong Kong office of an international company received an email supposedly from the chief financial officer of the company’s UK headquarters. Then came what looked like an ordinary internal meeting: a closed video conference, several colleagues on screen, the calm voice of a senior executive, and instructions for confidential transfers. The people looked familiar. The voice sounded right. The transfer went through — and the money ended up in the hands of scammers.