Latest news with #K.Shanmugam
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- 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. World Trump modifies reciprocal tariffs ahead of deadline; rate on Singapore likely to remain at 10% Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Singapore NUS launches S'pore's first nursing practice doctorate to meet evolving healthcare needs Singapore Data breach involving 147,000 Cycle & Carriage Singapore customer records under probe Business CAD probing Tokenize Xchange operator; firm's director charged with fraudulent trading Singapore PM Wong to deliver National Day message on Aug 8 Singapore Man charged over kicking woman's face in Teck Whye Lane flat, leading to her death In particular, operators of critical systems must report suspected APT attacks to CSA, whose oversight will expand to include risks that come from suppliers and cloud services. The amendments are expected to kick in later in 2025. 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.
The Star
21 hours ago
- The Star
No entry: ICA to bar high-risk, undesirable travellers from boarding Singapore-bound ships, flights
SINGAPORE: High-risk or undesirable travellers who pose a health, security, or immigration threat to Singapore will soon be denied the chance to board air or sea transport to travel here. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will be able to issue no-boarding directives (NBDs) to transport operators to prevent such travellers from boarding ships and flights bound for Singapore. ICA plans to roll out the NBDs to prevent arrivals at air checkpoints from 2026 and at sea checkpoints from 2028. Transport operators who fail to comply with an NBD can be fined up to S$10,000. The move comes in the wake of the Immigration (Amendment) Act that came into force on Dec 31, 2024. An initial plan, first reported in 2023, to weed out such passengers travelling into Singapore through land checkpoints faced roadblocks, as the proposal would have required bus operators to collect and submit passenger information in advance. Bus operators with routes across the Causeway had told The Straits Times in 2023 that the plan to submit in advance passenger information to ICA could be difficult to implement and might affect business. On July 31, ICA said that while collecting passenger and crew information in advance has been the norm for airline and ship operators, such information is generally not readily available at land checkpoints. ST understands the authorities are still looking into ways to implement similar measures at land checkpoints. Meanwhile, enhancements to Singapore's border security, including through new profiling and detection capabilities, have allowed ICA to identify more high-risk travellers before their arrival to Singapore. This has translated into a 43 per cent increase in the number of foreigners refused entry into the Republic in the first half of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024. People who can be denied entry include those who had been previously barred from entering Singapore after being convicted of certain crimes. On July 31, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam attended the official opening of the ICA services centre (ISC) in Crawford Street. The centre, which came into service in April, is adjacent to the previous ICA building. Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said ICA's transformation comes at a time of increasing traveller volumes across the nation's borders. He pointed out that traveller volumes through Singapore's checkpoints increased to 230 million passengers in 2024, compared with the 197 million who passed through the Republic's borders in 2015. Shanmugam said traveller volume is expected to increase further with the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System that is expected to be operational in December 2026; the Changi Airport Terminal 5 slated to open by the mid-2030s; and the expansion of Woodlands Checkpoint over the next 10 to 15 years. He said: 'But the limitation is that ICA's manpower cannot grow indefinitely, so we have been drawing more on technology to cope with this demand and to really navigate the more complex security environment.' To that end, ICA said it has achieved its vision to transform checkpoint clearance operations by becoming among the first border agencies in the world to implement passport-less immigration clearance. This was part of ICA's New Clearance Concept that was first announced in 2019, to provide faster and more secure immigration clearance. All travellers to and from Singapore can now clear immigration in an automated, passport-less process. This involves a facial or iris biometric scan at air and sea checkpoints, or clearance using a QR-code for those travelling through land checkpoints. As of June 30, ICA said some 93 million travellers have cleared immigration without needing to present their passports. Shanmugam said the implementation of QR-code clearance has been a game-changer for those travelling through Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, with clearance time being reduced by up to 30 per cent from before. ICA is also planning to roll out its automated passenger clearance system (APCS) at the Tuas Checkpoint for those travelling in cars, motorcycles and cargo vehicles by end-2026, without the need to use counters manned by officers. ICA said the automated process will allow them to operate more efficiently. The APCS will be implemented at Woodlands Checkpoint at a later time. The authority said around 95 per cent of its services have gone digital, and more than 95 per cent of the public are submitting their applications online. Superintendent Kalaivanan Pannerchilvam, deputy director of customer operations at ICA, said: 'A key feature of the ISC is the self-collection kiosks, where eligible customers can collect their passports and identity cards via these kiosks, anytime within the date of appointment.' Those using the kiosks will need to input their personal identification information, and complete iris verification before collecting their documents. Customers can collect both their passports and identity cards on the same day in one transaction at the kiosk. The self-collection kiosks are part of the ISC's Integrated Smart Document Management system, which was launched in July. The retrieval and delivery of documents, which was previously managed by ICA officers, are now done by robots. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
No entry: ICA to bar high-risk, undesirable travellers from boarding Singapore-bound ships, flights
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox As of June 30, ICA said some 93 million travellers have cleared immigration without needing to present their passports. SINGAPORE – High-risk or undesirable travellers who pose a health, security, or immigration threat to Singapore will soon be denied the chance to board air or sea transport to travel here. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will be able to issue no-boarding directives (NBDs) to transport operators to prevent such travellers from boarding ships and flights bound for Singapore. ICA plans to roll out the NBDs to prevent arrivals at air checkpoints from 2026 and at sea checkpoints from 2028. Transport operators who fail to comply with an NBD can be fined up to $10,000. The move comes in the wake of the Immigration (Amendment) Act that came into force on Dec 31, 2024. An initial plan, first reported in 2023 , to weed out such passengers travelling into Singapore through land checkpoints faced roadblocks, as the proposal would have required bus operators to collect and submit passenger information in advance. Bus operators with routes across the Causeway had told The Straits Times in 2023 that the plan to submit in advance passenger information to ICA could be difficult to implement and might affect business. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 17-member committee to drive roll-out of autonomous vehicles in Singapore Singapore Over half of job applications by retrenched Jetstar Asia staff led to offers or interviews: CEO Singapore Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council Business Singapore gold investment soars 37% to 2.2 tonnes in Q2 while jewellery demand wanes Multimedia 60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge Asia US-Malaysia tariff deal set for Aug 1 after Trump-Anwar phone call Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family' On July 31, ICA said that while collecting passenger and crew information in advance has been the norm for airline and ship operators, such information is generally not readily available at land checkpoints. ST understands the authorities are still looking into ways to implement similar measures at land checkpoints. Meanwhile, enhancements to Singapore's border security, including through new profiling and detection capabilities, have allowed ICA to identify more high-risk travellers before their arrival to Singapore. This has translated into a 43 per cent increase in the number of foreigners refused entry into the Republic in the first half of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024 . People who can be denied entry include those who had been previously barred from entering Singapore after being convicted of certain crimes. On July 31, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam attended the official opening of the ICA services centre (ISC) in Crawford Street. The centre, which came into service in April, is adjacent to the previous ICA building. Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said ICA's transformation comes at a time of increasing traveller volumes across the nation's borders. He pointed out that traveller volumes through Singapore's checkpoints increased to 230 million passengers in 2024, compared with the 197 million who passed through the Republic's borders in 2015. Mr Shanmugam said traveller volume is expected to increase further with the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System that is expected to be operational in December 2026; the Changi Airport Terminal 5 slated to open by the mid-2030s; and the expansion of Woodlands Checkpoint over the next 10 to 15 years. He said: 'But the limitation is that ICA's manpower cannot grow indefinitely, so we have been drawing more on technology to cope with this demand and to really navigate the more complex security environment.' To that end, ICA said it has achieved its vision to transform checkpoint clearance operations by becoming among the first border agencies in the world to implement passport-less immigration clearance. This was part of ICA's New Clearance Concept that was first announced in 2019, to provide faster and more secure immigration clearance. All travellers to and from Singapore can now clear immigration in an automated, passport-less process. This involves a facial or iris biometric scan at air and sea checkpoints, or clearance using a QR-code for those travelling through land checkpoints. As of June 30, ICA said some 93 million travellers have cleared immigration without needing to present their passports. Mr Shanmugam said the implementation of QR-code clearance has been a game-changer for those travelling through Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, with clearance time being reduced by up to 30 per cent from before. ICA is also planning to roll out its automated passenger clearance system (APCS) at the Tuas Checkpoint for those travelling in cars, motorcycles and cargo vehicles by end-2026, without the need to use counters manned by officers. ICA said the automated process will allow them to operate more efficiently. The APCS will be implemented at Woodlands Checkpoint at a later time. The authority said around 95 per cent of its services have gone digital, and more than 95 per cent of the public are submitting their applications online. Superintendent Kalaivanan Pannerchilvam, deputy director of customer operations at ICA, said: 'A key feature of the ISC is the self-collection kiosks, where eligible customers can collect their passports and identity cards via these kiosks, anytime within the date of appointment.' Those using the kiosks will need to input their personal identification information, and complete iris verification before collecting their documents. Customers can collect both their passports and identity cards on the same day in one transaction at the kiosk. The self-collection kiosks are part of the ISC's Integrated Smart Document Management system, which was launched in July. The retrieval and delivery of documents, which was previously managed by ICA officers, are now done by robots.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Fewer than 1 in 5 people noticed suspicious items during MHA's social experiments
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Over a few hours in the afternoon and evening, the car was left in a public place to test the public's response to terror incidents. SINGAPORE – More than 2,500 people in Tampines and Bishan walked past a black suitcase and a black car with a concealed number plate, but fewer than 500 of them noticed the suspicious objects. Even fewer of them either intended to or actually did alert the authorities to the items – just 26. Over a few hours during lunch and dinner, the suitcase and car were left in public places to test the public's response to terror incidents. The social experiments were conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 10 and 13, respectively. Noting the results of the social experiments, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said: 'How do we explain this reaction? The reality is, Singapore is a safe place, probably one of the safest cities of our size. 'For decades it has been like that, so very few people think in terms of crime or terror. That explains the awareness of threats. 'The level of safety we have is good, but it brings huge challenges when we want to educate the public to say 'it's not a question of if, but when'. It will happen at some point, and we need to be prepared.' He was speaking on July 30 at the launch of MHA's web series, What Would You Do When Terror Strikes, which features footage from the social experiments. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Business S'pore's economic resilience will face headwinds in second half of 2025 from tariffs, trade conflicts: MAS Business S'pore's Q2 total employment rises, but infocomm and professional services sectors see more job cuts Asia Powerful 8.8-magnitude quake in Russia's far east causes tsunami; Japan, Hawaii order evacuations Singapore Migrant workers who gave kickbacks to renew work passes were conservancy workers at AMK Town Council Asia Japan, Vietnam, EU contest terms of US tariff deals behind the scenes Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made The suitcase contained a dummy improvised explosive device and was left next to a potted plant at Our Tampines Hub. A red blinking light was later attached to the suitcase before it was placed by a pillar in front of a convenience store. In the car-bomb simulation, the car, containing multiple gas cylinders, was parked near Bishan Community Club in the afternoon. In the evening, more gas cylinders were added to the car boot, and the vehicle emitted smoke periodically. Despite the escalation in both experiments, only 438 out of 2,530 passers-by noticed the suspicious items, and 26 of them either intended to, or did, inform the authorities. MHA said the results of the social experiments differed from those of the 2024 SGSecure public perception survey, where 77 per cent of participants claimed they were generally alert and kept a lookout for suspicious activity and behaviour in public. Telltale signs included oily stains near the zippers, bulges to indicate a high payload of explosives, and an actor who dropped the suitcase off before hurriedly moving away. PHOTO: MHA In the same survey, 88 per cent of respondents said they would alert the authorities if they spotted suspicious behaviour or items. Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann, who also attended the launch event at The Projector at Cineleisure, said: 'This shows that we still have some way to go in raising the public's alertness and awareness and their readiness to combat terrorism.' Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said the web series is an effort to increase public awareness about SGSecure messages like 'Run, Hide, Tell' and 'Press, Tie, Tell'. SGSecure is a national movement launched in 2016 to prepare Singaporeans to deal with terrorist attacks and equip them with skills to handle a crisis. The first of the three-episode series, which was released on MHA's YouTube channel on July 30, features eight local influencers responding to a simulated terror attack. The other two episodes will be released on Aug 13 and 27, and will feature footage from the social experiments conducted in June.
The Star
20-07-2025
- The Star
City-state under cyber siege
The city-state is dealing with a 'serious' cyberattack against its critical infrastructure by a highly sophisticated entity, the country's coordinating minister for national security said. The attack, part of a sophisticated level of cyberhacks called advanced persistent threats (APTs), poses a serious danger to Singapore and could undermine national security, K. Shanmugam disclosed in a speech late on Friday. 'I can say that it is serious and it is ongoing. And it has been identified to be UNC3886,' said Shanmugam, who is also the home affairs minister. Shanmugam did not disclose the group's sponsors, but UNC3886 has been pinpointed by Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm owned by Google, as a cyberespionage group involved in global attacks. 'Even as we speak, UNC3886 is attacking our critical infrastructure right now,' he said, adding that Singapore's Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and relevant authorities were dealing with the issue. APTs are highly sophisticated and well-resourced actors that typically steal sensitive information and disrupt essential services such as healthcare, telecom, water, transport and power, Shanmugam said. 'If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans,' Shanmugam warned. A successful breach of Singapore's power system, for example, could disrupt electricity supply and have 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,' he said. He said that between 2021 and 2024, suspected APTs against Singapore increased more than fourfold. A cyberbreach on a public healthcare cluster in 2018 accessed the medication records of about 160,000 patients, including then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. 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. — AFP
