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”, 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”.
