Hacking incidents rose 70 per cent last year, with culprits more likely to steal personal information than release malware, the Productivity Council said.

There were 382 computer hacking incidents compared with 224 cases in 2009, according to a report of the council's Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre.

"The public should stay alert about computer security as hackers are not only spreading viruses, but also creating programs to steal personal information from computers," centre manager Roy Ko Wai-tak said.

Ko said the increase can be explained by the growth of phishing attacks, which are a type of online identity theft. "There are links on fraudulent websites or in e-mail messages which look legitimate. Some internet users click the links and are directed to websites that contain hidden and harmful programs," he said.

Ko said hackers in the past usually spread viruses to destroy computers. "But now they have changed their behaviour. They secretly install harmful hidden programs on users' computers to steal their personal information for money."

Ko also expressed concern at the wide use of smartphones that may leak personal data. Some mobile applications can steal sensitive information such as bank accounts.

As smartphones become more functional, members of the public are increasingly dependent on them and they save documents containing their personal information on mobiles.

"What if their mobile is picked up by others? They have to consider what kind of information should be saved in their phones," said Ko, adding that people's awareness of privacy protection is low.

The centre predicts that there will be more malicious mobile applications and information leaks on smartphones. "We need to have personal information protection by installing security software and keeping ourselves updated about security technology." Ko said.