Latest news with #CybersecurityAct
News18
01-08-2025
- Politics
- News18
Singapore asks operators to immediately report suspected cyberattacks
Singapore, Aug 1 (PTI) A Singapore minister on Friday urged operators of critical systems, such as those managing energy, water and transportation services, to immediately report suspected cyberattacks, according to local media reports. 'Accept that, and be prepared to defend," National Security Minister K Shanmugam said while speaking on the sidelines of a biennial cyber-security exercise called Exercise Cyber Star, organised by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), The Straits Times reported. 'Tell us immediately the moment you suspect (something). We (will) work with you to try and deal with it," the minister said. Singapore authorities revealed in July that its critical information infrastructure (CII) came under attack from UNC3886, a state-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) actor. Experts have said that the group is linked to China, the paper said. However, declining to name the country behind the APT attack, Shanmugam urged organisations to understand that there are and will be breaches, the report said. The exercise is in its sixth edition, and is the largest to date. The 11-day exercise involved nearly 500 participants from CSA, sector leads, owners from Singapore's 11 critical sectors, and the Singapore Armed Forces' Digital and Intelligence Service. At the event, CII operators were tested on their skills in countering simulated cyber attacks, such as those from APT actors. CII operators were also tested on their ability to deal with spillover effects from attacks that affect the larger business community and society. In the light of increased threats, Singapore amended its Cybersecurity Act in 2024 to require that CII operators declare any cybersecurity outage and any attack on their premises or along their supply chain, the report said. Singapore experienced its worst data breach in 2018, involving the personal particulars of 1.5 million patients, including then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, it said. PTI GS RD ZH RD RD view comments First Published: August 01, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Straits Times
01-08-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Reporting advanced suspected cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (Seated, from left) Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam touring the exhibits at the Exercise Cyber Star on Aug 1. SINGAPORE - Mandating that operators of critical systems, such as those that manage energy, water and transportation services, report suspected advanced attacks will provide the necessary framework for Singapore to defend itself, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam on Aug 1. Declining to name the country behind the recent advanced persistent threat (APT) attack on Singapore, he urged organisations to have the mentality that there are and will be breaches. 'Accept that, and be prepared to defend,' he said, speaking on the sidelines of a biennial cybersecurity exercise, called Exercise Cyber Star, organised by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. 'Tell us immediately the moment you suspect (something). We work with you to try and deal with it,' he added. Mr Shanmugam's comments came after the authorities revealed in July that Singapore's critical information infrastructure (CII) came under attack from UNC3886, a state-linked advanced persistent threat actor. UNC3886 is one of several APT actors, whose activities have increased more than fourfold from 2021 to 2024, that target Singapore's CII. In light of increased threats, Singapore has also amended its Cybersecurity Act in 2024 to require CII operators to declare any cyber-security outage, and any attack on their premises or along their supply chain. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Declining to name the country behind UNC3886, Mr Shanmugum said: 'We release information that we assess is in the public a specific country is not in our interest at this point of time.' Experts have said that the group is linked to China. On naming the group, he added: 'In this case, we felt that the situation and the threat of the attack and compromise was serious enough, and we were confident enough to name UNC3886.' In a statement on July 19 responding to media reports about UNC3886 being linked to Beijing, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Singapore said: 'China expresses strong dissatisfaction with this, and we resolutely oppose any unwarranted smearing against China. 'In fact, China is one of the main victims of cyber attacks. We reiterate that China resolutely opposes and combats any form of cyber attacks in accordance with the law, and will not encourage, support or condone hacker attacks.' On Aug 1, Mr Shanmugam also spoke about the need for cybersecurity exercises to be better prepared for attacks, which is why Exercise Cyber Star is important. The exercise is in its sixth edition, and is the largest to date. It was held over a period of 11 days and involved nearly 500 participants from CSA, owners from Singapore's 11 critical sectors, and the Singapore Armed Forces' Digital and Intelligence Service. At the event, CII operators were tested on their skills in countering simulated cyber attacks such as those from APT actors. CII operators were also tested on their ability to deal with spillover effects from the attacks that affect the larger business community and society. 'This exercise brings together the different sector leads, critical infrastructure exercise real-life scenarios,' said Mr Shanmugam. 'Imagine millions of people travelling on our subways, and something goes wrong... What's your approach on dealing with the attack? How do you recover from it?' he said, noting that the private sector also needs to have the know-how to better work with the government to contain the damages. Singapore's 11 CII sectors are aviation, healthcare, land transport, maritime, media, security and emergency services, water, banking and finance, energy, infocomm and government. UNC3886 is not the first APT attack on Singapore - there was a security breach in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' technology systems back in 2014, and intrusions in the networks of two local universities in 2017 believed to be aimed at stealing government and research data. The Republic experienced its worst data breach in 2018, which involved the personal particulars of 1.5 million patients including former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The attacker in this breach on SingHealth was said to have been persistent in its efforts to access the electronic medical records system, and is believed to have lurked in the healthcare group's network for at least nine months.
NDTV
29-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Bangladeshi Hindu Homes Attacked And Looted After Teen's Derogatory Post On Prophet Muhammad
In an alarming incident, a 17-year-old boy's Facebook post on Prophet Muhammad has caused waves of violent mob attacks in Bangladesh's Rangpur district. 15 Hindu homes were attacked in a span of two days – Saturday and Sunday, after which families left their homes, sold off livestock and belongings in distress. The ransacking took place after the boy's arrest over blasphemy. Moreover, army and police were deployed to disperse the rampaging crowd. This incident has sparked anxiety among the Hindu community after their homes were burnt and as they have to take shelter with relatives and are still unsure about when they can even return home. The attacks took place in Aldadpur village after the boy – a third-semester student at a polytechnic institute – posted derogatory content about Prophet Muhammad on Facebook. Despite the widespread violence and protests, there had been no FIR or arrests made. According to The Daily Star, the boy was arrested around 8:30 pm on Saturday evening after police received complaints about the post. "A case was filed under the Cybersecurity Act, and the boy was later sent to a juvenile rehabilitation centre following a court order," a police officer, Al Emran, told Dhaka-based newspaper, Prothom Alo. After his arrest, the violence started, following which the police and army were deployed. "Fifteen houses were damaged or looted. We are preparing a list and working on financial and other forms of support," an official, Mahmud Hasan Mridha, said after visiting the village. "We didn't sleep all night," Kamalakanta Roy, a villager, told Prothom Alo. "We had 10–12 mon (400–480 kg) of paddy, and we're selling it now." Apart from the destruction, valuables were looted. Locals said gold jewellery, legal documents had been looted. This violence falls under a pattern of persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, since PM Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted. Although the interim government has taken steps to curb such attacks on minorities, Muhammad Yunus, had earlier called these reports "exaggerated propaganda". Per India's Ministry of External Affairs, after Hasina was ousted in August 2024, Bangladesh witnessed a sharp escalation of violence against Hindus. There had been 200 cases of attacks across 52 districts within the first week. By October 22, the interim government had officially acknowledged 88 cases of communal violence against Hindus. National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam condemned the attacks and said that no one should be spared for insulting the Prophet, but "justice must follow the law." "Three families, including that of the detained boy and his uncle, are staying at their relatives' homes at a neighbouring village," the chief adviser's office said. "The repair works of the Hindu households will start from Tuesday under the supervision of the district and concerned sub-district administrations," it said in a statement.
Straits Times
29-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Suspected advanced attacks must be reported under Singapore's amended Cybersecurity Act
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Mandatory reporting to Singapore's cyber-security watchdog, Cyber Security Agency, is expected to take effect later in 2025. SINGAPORE - Operators of critical systems such as those that manage Singapore's energy, water and transportation services will soon be required to report suspected advanced persistent threat attacks. Mandatory reporting to Singapore's cyber-security watchdog, Cyber Security Agency, is expected to take effect later in 2025, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on July 29. The new measure under the amended Cybersecurity Act comes after July 18 's revelation of serious threats from cyber espionage group UNC3886, which experts said is China-linked. It is one of several advanced persistent threat (APT) actors - whose activities have increased more than four-fold from 2021 to 2024 - that target Singapore's critical information infrastructure (CII). 'If organisations suspect that they have been targeted, they cannot and should not confront the attackers on their own,' said Mrs Teo at the 5th annual Operational Technology Cybersecurity Expert Panel forum organised by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. 'These requirements will support the early detection of APT activities, and enable CSA to take more timely actions, together with other government agencies, to defend CII owners against the attacks.' APT actors are typically state-sponsored and are well resourced. They use advanced tools to evade detection, lurk in high-value networks and spy over the long term to steal sensitive information or disrupt essential services. Singapore's 11 CII sectors are aviation, healthcare, land transport, maritime, media, security and emergency services, water, banking and finance, energy, infocomm and government. Singapore's Cybersecurity Act was last amended in 2024 to expand CSA's oversight to include risks that come from suppliers and cloud services. In particular, CII operators must declare any cyber-security outage, and attack on their premises or along their supply chain. Soon the mandatory reporting of APT attacks will be included as part of CSA's expanded oversight. The amended Act, its first update since the law came into force in 2018, also require temporary systems set up to support high-profile events - such as vaccines distribution and key international summits - to come under CSA's supervision. Until recently, Singapore had not publicly said much about APT activity, or named any of the groups involved. 'Why are we doing so for the first time?' said Mrs Teo. 'We want the public to know that these threats are not imagined, but real,' she said, adding that the potential consequences to Singapore's economy and society are very serious. She cited the losses some countries suffered in recent years, such as how 600 Ukrainian homes lost heating for two days during the winter in January 2024 after a malware was used to exploit a zero-day vulnerability in Internet-facing routers. Separately, the hacking of a Norwegian dam's systems in April caused seven billion litres of water to be released. While the damage may have been limited in this instance, this could have resulted in more dire consequences such as flooding or disruptions to essential services, said Mrs Teo. 'The owners of CIIs must raise your vigilance, because you provide essential services that Singapore and Singaporeans depend on. The threats you face are no longer simple ransomware attacks. APTs have you in their sights,' said Mrs Teo. Singapore is currently in a heightened state of alert following the UNC3886 attack and increased APT activities. The government is actively working with CII owners to enhance the security of critical systems, said Mrs Teo. She added that CSA has brought together the chief executives of all CII owners for a classified briefing on Singapore's threat landscape. The OTCEP forum is another platform to prepare critical sectors through engagements with tech providers and experts. On July 29, CSA signed a memorandum of collaboration with ST Engineering to jointly study and develop operational technology tools for the critical services sectors. 'A partnership approach will help to ensure a safe and resilient digital future for Singapore,' said Mrs Teo.
Bangkok Post
09-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Cloud security gaps threaten regional businesses
Businesses across Southeast Asia are facing a silent crisis of cloud vulnerabilities, according to the 2025 Cloud Security Risk Report by Tenable, a Nasdaq-listed cybersecurity exposure management company. The report uncovers alarming security gaps in cloud environments, from misconfigured storage exposing sensitive data to embedded secrets in workloads, that could lead to data breaches, financial losses and regulatory repercussions, the company says. The findings are particularly relevant for organisations operating in regulated sectors or managing cross-border data flows. In Singapore, where data protection and cybersecurity are tightly governed under frameworks such as the Cybersecurity Act, Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) technology risk management guidelines, poor visibility into cloud assets and misconfigurations can have serious compliance repercussions. Similarly, Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law, the PDPA in Thailand and Malaysia, and the Philippines' Data Privacy Act all impose stringent requirements on data protection, cross-border transfers and cloud security. "Together, these regulations highlight the urgent need for organisations across Southeast Asia to prioritise strong cloud governance and security to meet evolving compliance and cybersecurity demands," said the report. The research reveals a significant and widespread risk, finding that 9% of all analysed cloud storage resources contain restricted or confidential information. In environments housing vast volumes of data, this seemingly small percentage translates to millions of sensitive records potentially exposed. Even more alarming, nearly one in 10 publicly accessible storage locations holds sensitive data, driven by common misconfigurations, weak access controls and limited visibility. This can expose organisations across industries to serious security and compliance threats in line with local or regional data residency expectations. The risks do not end there. Tenable's findings show that 54% of organisations with AWS ECS (Amazon Web Services Electronic Clearing Services) task definitions have a secret embedded within them, exposing businesses to the threat of full cloud environment takeovers or exploitation activities like unauthorised crypto mining. Even within AWS EC2 instances, 3.5% contain credentials embedded in user data, giving attackers a clear pathway to escalate privileges and compromise environments. "Secrets are the keys to the kingdom, yet many organisations are unknowingly leaving them unguarded across their cloud infrastructures," said Ari Eitan, director of cloud security research at Tenable. "In today's threat landscape, complacency is costly. Organisations must treat secrets with the highest level of security hygiene to prevent attackers from gaining footholds that can spiral into full-blown breaches." With Singapore continuing to scale up cloud adoption, supported by national initiatives like the Infocomm Media Development Authority's Cloud Outage Incident Response framework and regional efforts to enable secure digital economies, the report highlights the urgent need for a proactive, risk-driven security strategy. "The cloud offers incredible agility, but without strong controls and continuous monitoring, it also opens the door to significant exposures," Mr Eitan said. "Understanding where your sensitive data and credentials are and who can access them must now be a board-level priority."
