Latest news with #ChanChunSing
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue among leaders
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Vietnam's Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang (on the red carpet, left), welcomes Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing in Hanoi on July 22. SINGAPORE - Singapore and Vietnam will strengthen their defence relationship and seek more regular dialogue between their leaders, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said on July 22. This is as both countries aim to achieve concrete outcomes from the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) earlier in 2025, Mr Chan said at the conclusion of a visit to Hanoi. During his visit, Mr Chan had called on Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The two leaders reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral relationship between Singapore and Vietnam, and discussed various initiatives under the CSP, said Mindef in a statement. Mr Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, said he and Mr Pham discussed several areas of potential cooperation, such as in renewable energy, data and finance, and leadership development. At the strategic level, more dialogue between leaders of both sides is important, given the turbulent global economic and security situation, he added. 'We talked about setting up more regular dialogues between the public services of both sides, and how we can use such occasions to talk about the emerging challenges that both of us face,' he said. In March 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary To Lam announced that Singapore and Vietnam had elevated bilateral ties to a wide-ranging CSP, with both sides committing to deepen cooperation in areas such as security, sustainability and the digital economy. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Woman evacuated from lift in Supreme Court building after falling glass triggers emergency halt Asia Malaysian aide's unresolved 2009 death tests govt's reform pledge despite DAP chief's apology Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Singapore not affected by haze despite smoke plumes in Sumatra: NEA Singapore Miscalculation of MOH subsidies and grants led to $7m in overpayments, $2m in shortfalls Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving The CSP with Vietnam is Singapore's first with an Asean member state, reflecting both countries' shared commitment to expanding cooperation in areas of mutual benefit and which can create growth opportunities, said Mindef. Singapore's cooperation with Vietnam also supports regional initiatives like the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement and the Asean Power Grid, which will strengthen the economy and resilience of Singapore, Vietnam and Asean, the ministry added. On his trip, Mr Chan also met his counterpart, Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang, and they exchanged views on geopolitical developments. Given that security challenges will increasingly be networked, Mr Chan said he and General Phan discussed ways for the two armed forces to work together to counter such threats. The two defence ministers also agreed to step up military-to-military interactions through high-level visits, bilateral dialogues, cross-attendance of courses, and professional exchanges. 'We will also continue to work together at the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus to uphold an open and inclusive regional security architecture,' said Mr Chan. Mr Chan was joined at the meetings by Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Singapore military called in to combat cyberattack
Units in Singapore's military have been called in to help combat a cyberattack against critical infrastructure, the country's defence minister said Saturday -- a hack attempt attributed to an espionage group experts have linked to China. Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said these select units will work with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) in a united government response to the threat, local media reported. Chan described the cyberattack as "one example of the emerging threats" that the military has to handle, the reports said. There have been no reported breaches so far. Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam first disclosed the attack late Friday, describing it as a type of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) that poses a serious danger to the city-state. An APT refers to a cyberattack in which an intruder establishes and maintains unauthorised access to a target, remaining undetected for a sustained period of time. "I can say that it is serious and it is ongoing. And it has been identified to be UNC3886," Shanmugam said, referring to the alleged attackers. Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister, did not elaborate in his speech on the group's sponsors or the origin of the attack. But Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant described UNC3886 as a "highly adept China-nexus cyber espionage group". APT actors typically steal sensitive information and disrupt essential services, such as healthcare, telecoms, water, transport and power, Shanmugam said. "If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans," he added.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Singapore military helps battle cyberattack: minister
Units in Singapore's military have been called in to help combat a cyberattack against critical infrastructure, the country's defence minister said Saturday -- a hack attempt attributed to an espionage group experts have linked to China. Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said these select units will work with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) in a united government response to the threat, local media reported. Chan described the cyberattack as "one example of the emerging threats" that the military has to handle, the reports said. There have been no reported breaches so far. Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam first disclosed the attack late Friday, describing it as a type of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) that poses a serious danger to the city-state. An APT refers to a cyberattack in which an intruder establishes and maintains unauthorised access to a target, remaining undetected for a sustained period of time. "I can say that it is serious and it is ongoing. And it has been identified to be UNC3886," Shanmugam said, referring to the alleged attackers. Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister, did not elaborate in his speech on the group's sponsors or the origin of the attack. But Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant described UNC3886 as a "highly adept China-nexus cyber espionage group". APT actors typically steal sensitive information and disrupt essential services, such as healthcare, telecoms, water, transport and power, Shanmugam said. "If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans," he added. - 'Stealthy opponents' - A successful breach of Singapore's power system, for example, could wreak havoc with the electricity supply, with knock-on effects on essential services, such as healthcare and transport. "There are also economic implications. Our banks, airports and industries would not be able to operate. Our economy can be substantially affected," Shanmugam said. Between 2021 and 2024, suspected APTs against Singapore increased more than fourfold. A cyber breach of a public healthcare cluster in 2018 accessed the medication records of about 160,000 patients, including then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. Beijing's embassy in Singapore on Saturday expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with media reports linking UNC3886 to China. In a statement, the embassy said it "firmly opposes any unwarranted smearing of China" and that "in fact, China is one of the main victims of cyberattacks". The statement added: "China firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law. China does not encourage, support, or condone hacking activities." Asked by reporters Saturday about the link between UNC3886 and China, The Straits Times newspaper quoted Shanmugam as saying: "As far as the Singapore government is concerned, we can say we are confident that it is this particular organisation. Who they are linked to, and how they operate, is not something I want to go into." Information Minister Josephine Teo said in a Facebook post Saturday that the alleged attacker was publicly named because it was "important for Singaporeans to know where the attack is coming from and what the potential consequences will be". The attack on Singapore's critical infrastructure "highlights the extraordinary challenges posed by APT actors," said Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at US-based cybersecurity firm Tenable. "Combating such stealthy opponents is becoming increasingly demanding as the scale and complexity of IT infrastructure that organisations and nations must defend continues to grow," he said. mba/sst
Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Singapore Military Helps Battle Cyberattack: Minister
Units in Singapore's military have been called in to help combat a cyberattack against critical infrastructure, the country's defence minister said Saturday -- a hack attempt attributed to an espionage group experts have linked to China. Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said these select units will work with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) in a united government response to the threat, local media reported. Chan described the cyberattack as "one example of the emerging threats" that the military has to handle, the reports said. There have been no reported breaches so far. Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam first disclosed the attack late Friday, describing it as a type of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) that poses a serious danger to the city-state. An APT refers to a cyberattack in which an intruder establishes and maintains unauthorised access to a target, remaining undetected for a sustained period of time. "I can say that it is serious and it is ongoing. And it has been identified to be UNC3886," Shanmugam said, referring to the alleged attackers. Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister, did not elaborate in his speech on the group's sponsors or the origin of the attack. But Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant described UNC3886 as a "highly adept China-nexus cyber espionage group". APT actors typically steal sensitive information and disrupt essential services, such as healthcare, telecoms, water, transport and power, Shanmugam said. "If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans," he added. A successful breach of Singapore's power system, for example, could wreak havoc with the electricity supply, with knock-on effects on essential services, such as healthcare and transport. "There are also economic implications. Our banks, airports and industries would not be able to operate. Our economy can be substantially affected," Shanmugam said. Between 2021 and 2024, suspected APTs against Singapore increased more than fourfold. A cyber breach of a public healthcare cluster in 2018 accessed the medication records of about 160,000 patients, including then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. Beijing's embassy in Singapore on Saturday expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with media reports linking UNC3886 to China. In a statement, the embassy said it "firmly opposes any unwarranted smearing of China" and that "in fact, China is one of the main victims of cyberattacks". The statement added: "China firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law. China does not encourage, support, or condone hacking activities." Asked by reporters Saturday about the link between UNC3886 and China, The Straits Times newspaper quoted Shanmugam as saying: "As far as the Singapore government is concerned, we can say we are confident that it is this particular organisation. Who they are linked to, and how they operate, is not something I want to go into." Information Minister Josephine Teo said in a Facebook post Saturday that the alleged attacker was publicly named because it was "important for Singaporeans to know where the attack is coming from and what the potential consequences will be". The attack on Singapore's critical infrastructure "highlights the extraordinary challenges posed by APT actors," said Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at US-based cybersecurity firm Tenable. "Combating such stealthy opponents is becoming increasingly demanding as the scale and complexity of IT infrastructure that organisations and nations must defend continues to grow," he said.
France 24
5 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Singapore military helps battle cyberattack: minister
Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said these select units will work with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) in a united government response to the threat, local media reported. Chan described the cyberattack as "one example of the emerging threats" that the military has to handle, the reports said. There have been no reported breaches so far. Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam first disclosed the attack late Friday, describing it as a type of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) that poses a serious danger to the city-state. An APT refers to a cyberattack in which an intruder establishes and maintains unauthorised access to a target, remaining undetected for a sustained period of time. "I can say that it is serious and it is ongoing. And it has been identified to be UNC3886," Shanmugam said, referring to the alleged attackers. Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister, did not elaborate in his speech on the group's sponsors or the origin of the attack. But Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant described UNC3886 as a "highly adept China-nexus cyber espionage group". APT actors typically steal sensitive information and disrupt essential services, such as healthcare, telecoms, water, transport and power, Shanmugam said. "If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans," he added. 'Stealthy opponents' A successful breach of Singapore's power system, for example, could wreak havoc with the electricity supply, with knock-on effects on essential services, such as healthcare and transport. "There are also economic implications. Our banks, airports and industries would not be able to operate. Our economy can be substantially affected," Shanmugam said. Between 2021 and 2024, suspected APTs against Singapore increased more than fourfold. A cyber breach of a public healthcare cluster in 2018 accessed the medication records of about 160,000 patients, including then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. Beijing's embassy in Singapore on Saturday expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with media reports linking UNC3886 to China. In a statement, the embassy said it "firmly opposes any unwarranted smearing of China" and that "in fact, China is one of the main victims of cyberattacks". The statement added: "China firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law. China does not encourage, support, or condone hacking activities." Asked by reporters Saturday about the link between UNC3886 and China, The Straits Times newspaper quoted Shanmugam as saying: "As far as the Singapore government is concerned, we can say we are confident that it is this particular organisation. Who they are linked to, and how they operate, is not something I want to go into." Information Minister Josephine Teo said in a Facebook post Saturday that the alleged attacker was publicly named because it was "important for Singaporeans to know where the attack is coming from and what the potential consequences will be". The attack on Singapore's critical infrastructure "highlights the extraordinary challenges posed by APT actors," said Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at US-based cybersecurity firm Tenable. "Combating such stealthy opponents is becoming increasingly demanding as the scale and complexity of IT infrastructure that organisations and nations must defend continues to grow," he said.
