Singapore Boosts Cybersecurity Measures Amid Rising Threats

In a move to strengthen its defenses against state-sponsored cyberactors, Singapore has pledged to bolster the protection of its critical infrastructure, partnering with private sector companies to equip them with tools and capabilities to deal with Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)-level threats. The announcement comes as Singapore has been under regular attacks, with foreign actors attempting to influence domestic politics and critical infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

• Singapore has been under regular attacks by state-sponsored actors, with attempts to influence domestic politics and critical infrastructure.
• The government has pledged to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure by partnering with private sector companies to equip them with tools and capabilities to deal with APT-level threats.
• In the last year, six foreign nationals were identified working out of Singapore and suspected of being involved in malicious cyber activities.
• The government has taken action against malicious cyber actors, including charging four individuals with possessing hacking tools and malware found on their devices.
• Singapore will also take action against platforms that carry harmful content or are used as conduits for malicious cyber actors.
• The government has decided to share classified threat intelligence with critical infrastructure owners to help them develop a more robust incident response and business continuity plans.
• Singapore will also explore partnering with critical infrastructure owners to conduct threat hunting and red-teaming exercises, informed by classified intelligence.

Statistics:

• Over 27 million users had their SIM data exposed in an attack on SK Telecom in South Korea.
• A ransomware attack on Jaguar Land Rover disrupted production and caused the shutdown of its factories around the world, affecting thousands of workers and sub-contractors, and resulting in billions of dollars in losses.
• Singapore has been experiencing a significant rise in malicious cyber activity, with state-sponsored actors launching cyberattacks to bring down critical infrastructure.
• In 2017, an "agent of influence" was identified and had his Permanent Residency revoked, and he was asked to leave the country.
• During the General Elections, foreign actors were using social media to directly target Singaporeans to get them to vote along preferred lines.

Sources:

• Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Singapore
• Contify.com
• Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW)