Thailand's foreign ministry spokesman on whether there can be a ceasefire with Cambodia yet
Thailand's foreign ministry spokesman on whether there can be a ceasefire with Cambodia yet
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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Naming country linked to UNC3886 attack not in Singapore's best interest at this point in time: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: While naming a specific country linked to cyber threat group UNC3886 is not in Singapore's interest at this point in time, the attack was still serious enough for the government to let the public know about the group, said Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Friday (Aug 1). Speaking to reporters on the side of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore's (CSA) Exercise Cyber Star, the national cybersecurity crisis management exercise, Mr Shanmugam said that when it comes to naming any country responsible for a cyber attack, 'we always think about it very carefully'. Responding to a question from CNA on reports tying the group to China, Mr Shanmugam said: 'Media coverage (and) industry experts all attribute UNC3886 to some country … Government does not comment on this. 'We release information that we assess is in the public interest. Naming a specific country is not in our interest at this point in time.' UNC3886 has been described by Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant as a "China-nexus espionage group" that has targeted prominent strategic organisations on a global scale. Mr Shanmugam had announced on Jul 18 that Singapore is actively dealing with a "highly sophisticated threat actor" that is attacking critical infrastructure, identifying the entity as UNC3886 without disclosing if it was a state-linked actor. He said the threat actor poses a serious danger to Singapore and could undermine the country's national security, and added that it was not in Singapore's security interests to disclose further details of the attack then. When asked the following day about UNC3886's alleged links to China and possible retaliation for naming them, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said this was "speculative". "Who they are linked to and how they operate is not something I want to go into," he said. Responding to media reports in a Jul 19 Facebook post, the Chinese embassy in Singapore expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" at the claims linking the country to UNC3886, stating that they were "groundless smears and accusations against China". 'In fact, China is a major victim of cyberattacks," it wrote. "The embassy would like to reiterate that China is firmly against and cracks down (on) all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with law. China does not encourage, support or condone hacking activities." On Friday, Mr Shanmugam also gave his reasons for disclosing the identity of threat actors like UNC3886. 'We look at the facts of each case (and) the degree of confidence we have before we can name. And when we decide to name the threat actor, we look at whether it is in Singapore's best interest,' said Mr Shanmugam, who is also the home affairs minister. In this case, the threat, attack and compromise to Singapore's infrastructure was 'serious enough' and the government was confident enough to name UNC3886 as the perpetrators, he said. 'Here, we said this is serious. They have gotten in. They are compromising a very serious critical infrastructure. Singaporeans ought to know about it, and awareness has got to increase. And because of the seriousness, it is in the public interest for us to disclose,' said Mr Shanmugam. ATTACKS HAVE HAPPENED ELSEWHERE Mr Shanmugam was accompanied at Friday's exercise by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who is also Minister-in-Charge of Cybersecurity. Held at the Singapore Institute of Technology in Punggol, the exercise saw teams from critical sector organisations tackle cybersecurity challenges based on key threats, such as advanced persistent threats (APTs) and attacks on critical systems. APTs are a type of prolonged cyberattack typically carried out by well-resourced threat actors. 'There're close to about 500 participants today. They come together, put a face to a name, exercise real life scenarios, things which have happened elsewhere,' said Mr Shanmugam, emphasising that such incidents are 'not theoretical'. During the event, Mr Shanmugam was shown a demonstration of an attack on a port, where crane operations were paralysed and energy supply was cut off. He was also briefed on the response plan for when the public transport system gets attacked, with millions of people commuting and the fare systems are targeted. 'You have to exercise, you have to bring people together. Government has got a high level of knowledge.' The private sector, meanwhile, is focused on getting things done for their business, he added. 'Now, they need their knowledge and abilities to also increase. So we've got to work together,' said Mr Shanmugam. Mrs Teo had announced earlier this week that owners of Singapore's critical information infrastructure will, from later this year, be required to report to CSA any incidents suspected to be caused by APTs. Mr David Koh, chief executive of CSA, said: 'With cyberattacks increasing in frequency and sophistication, it is important for the government to work closely with Singapore's critical sectors and companies to enhance crisis response capabilities and ensure the continual delivery of essential services.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
PM Lawrence Wong's National Day Message to be broadcast on Aug 8
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's National Day Message will be broadcast on Aug 8, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday (Aug 1). Mr Wong, who is also finance minister, will deliver his message in English. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will deliver the message in Mandarin, while Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Home Affairs Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will deliver it in Malay. Minister of State for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Manpower, Dinesh Vasu Dash will deliver the message in Tamil. The first broadcast in English will air on CNA and CNA938 at 6.40pm. The Malay broadcast will be at 8.30pm on Suria, followed by the Mandarin broadcast on Channel 8 and Capital 958 at 8.40pm. The Tamil broadcast will air at 9pm on Vasantham and Oli 968. The National Day Message in the four languages will also be available on the PMO website and its YouTube channel after the first broadcasts. In Mr Wong's first National Day Message, he spoke about the efforts being made to keep the cost of living stable, as well as support for families under the Forward Singapore initiative.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thailand seeks neutral venue for border talks with Cambodia
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BANGKOK – Thailand has requested Cambodia to move a bilateral meeting of senior security officials next week – considered crucial to de-escalating border tensions following deadly clashes – from Phnom Penh to a neutral location. Bangkok has proposed shifting the Aug 4 General Border Committee meeting, agreed by the leaders of the two countries, to a city in Malaysia. The request was made by Thailand's Acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit, in a letter dated July 31, to his Cambodian counterpart, citing 'the sensitive nature of the situation'. Malaysia, which hosted ceasefire talks between the two nation's leaders earlier this week, is ready to host the meeting as the current chair of the Asean, Mr Nattaphon said. Cambodia's Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata didn't immediately respond to a request for comments. Despite agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire, the two countries have continued to exchange accusations of unprovoked aggression. The five-day conflict resulted in over 40 deaths and displaced around 300,000 people along their roughly 800km border. The truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, acting as Asean chair, and followed pressure from US President Donald Trump. 'This upcoming session is of an extraordinary nature' as it will provide the two sides an opportunity to jointly explore a way forward in de-escalating tensions and resolving the border security issues, Mr Nattaphon said. He also asked that the meeting be extended to Aug 7 to provide more time for discussions due to 'the number and gravity of issues to be addressed.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's global trade policy faces test, hours from tariff deadline Singapore 'For one last time, let's go home': Tears, laughs as last scheduled Jetstar Asia flight touches down Singapore Over half of job applications by retrenched Jetstar Asia staff led to offers or interviews: CEO Singapore No entry: ICA to bar high-risk, undesirable travellers from boarding S'pore-bound ships, flights Business More new homes are coming up in northern Singapore Opinion The other struggle drug addicts face: Being labelled weak, not sick Singapore Luxury cars, watches seized during anti-vice raids; 28 arrested Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family' The General Border Committee is one of several bilateral mechanisms established by Thailand and Cambodia to address border matters. The countries take turns hosting the meetings, and it is currently Cambodia's turn to do so. The Thai army has established an interim team of observers, including military attachés from Asean member states, to monitor the ceasefire, according to a statement. The group also discussed the possible establishment of a broader Asean monitoring mechanism, which will be addressed at the Thai-Cambodia meeting next week, the army said. Bloomberg
