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