Singapore seen as top spot for launching cyberattacks

Singapore has overtaken nations including the U.S., Russia and China as the country launching the most cyberattacks globally, according to Israeli data security firm Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

The company, whose software tracks an average of 8 to 10 million live cyberattacks daily, said Singapore rose to pole position after ranking in the top five attacking countries for the previous two weeks.

“It is not particularly unusual for Singapore to be featured among the top attacking countries,” said Eying Wee, Check Point’s Asia-Pacific spokeswoman.

A key Southeast Asian technology hub, much of the internet traffic flowing through Singapore originates in other countries. That means a cyberattack recorded as coming from Singapore might have been launched outside the country, she said.

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore said there are a number of reports measuring cyberattacks based on various methodologies and therefore providing different perspectives of the situation.

“As a commercial hub with high interconnectivity, Singapore is undoubtedly an attractive target for cybercriminals,” a spokesman for the agency said in an email, adding that it’s important for the nation to maintain high cybersecurity standards and take necessary measures to protect its systems and data.

The city-state, which wants to become a global technology hub, recently stepped up efforts to tighten cybersecurity after several high-profile attacks on government agencies and companies.

“Singapore has now found itself on someone’s list,” Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in July. “The attacks are orchestrated, the attacks are targeted, they want to steal specific information, there are minds behind this orchestration.”

Earlier this year, Singapore’s military established a cyber defense unit while the government drafted legislation to impose new cybersecurity requirements aimed at helping companies protect critical information infrastructure.

Mikel Bilbao Gorostiaga TNS Singapore has overtaken other nations such as the U.S., Russia and China as the country launching the most cyberattacks globally.