SINGAPORE: Advanced persistent threat (APT) actors are increasingly harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to sharpen their attacks, with Singapore’s telecommunications sector a “high-value target” for attack, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Saturday (May 9).
Speaking to reporters, the Home Affairs Minister said the telco sector is “especially critical” and brought up the threat posed by APT group UNC3886, which had launched attacks on Singapore telcos last year.
Urging firms to raise their cyber posture, Mr Shanmugam said that frontier AI – referring to the most capable and cutting-edge AI systems available – is now helping these attackers wreak havoc on victims.
He added: “This has to be the responsibility at the board level, it cannot be delegated to the IT departments alone. The board of directors will have to say we are responsible for it.”
On how cyber attackers are adopting AI, the minister said they can attack faster, cheaper, at scale, and the attacks can be conducted by persons who are “not so skilled”.
“Some attackers are integrating AI into their cyber operations. The attackers who are the most capable, most well-resourced, will be the ones who are adapting to advanced AI, quickly integrating into their capabilities,” he said.
“It’s a serious issue for Singapore. It’s a serious issue for other countries,” said Mr Shanmugam, who was addressing the media at Yishun Ring Road.
IMDA ISSUED ADVISORY TO TELCOS
He added that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has issued an advisory, including guidance on measures to telecommunication firms to “reinforce the urgency of the matter”.
Measures they can take include adopting AI themselves to improve their cybersecurity, as well as updating their risk management plans to account for AI-enabled threats.
In response to CNA’s queries, IMDA said that the advisory was issued to telecom firms, including their boards.
It provided “additional guidance” on measures they can take to strengthen their cybersecurity defences against the potential threats posed by frontier AI models, including updating internal risk models and business continuity plans to address the faster timelines and increased complexity of Al-enabled attacks.
“This is a continuing effort, given the dynamic tech and cyber landscape, where risks can emerge and evolve. Thus, IMDA constantly keeps telcos updated of the latest threats and risks to their networks, and tangible steps they can take to address them,” said the IMDA.
On Saturday, Mr Shanmugam said Singapore is also working with partners who have direct access to methods to understand the implications of frontier AI, echoing what the government had said in parliament earlier this week in a response to Members of Parliament who filed questions on the technology.
On Tuesday, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said that the government views AI-enabled cyber risk as an amplification of an existing systemic risk, rather than a new category, and that agencies are on the alert for cybersecurity risks due to AI.
Anthropic’s Mythos is one example of frontier AI. Debuted early last month, its preview model is its most advanced to date and is able to identify weaknesses in computer systems and fix or exploit them in hours rather than months.
