Cyber Security Agency urges Singapore organisations to strengthen defences after surge in incidents
The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore warned that reported cyber incidents have tripled since September and called on all organisations to improve security measures.
Singapore – The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) issued an advisory on 13 November urging all organisations, regardless of size or sector, to strengthen their cyber defences after the average monthly number of reported incidents rose to three times the level recorded from January to August. The agency said the increase reflects a global trend of opportunistic attacks, with some incidents involving compromised third-party suppliers and highlighting supply-chain risks.
CSA chief executive Gwenda Fong told business leaders that cybersecurity should be on their agenda even if they lack dedicated IT or security teams. The agency added that threat actors are increasingly using artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities, reducing the time available for organisations to secure their systems.
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) reported a series of data breaches over the same period, affecting at least 12 organisations or their service providers between 24 October and 13 November. Incidents spanned healthcare, finance, aviation, telecommunications and media, exposing personal details such as names, identity-card numbers, contact information and travel itineraries. The Ministry of Health said the six healthcare-related breaches did not disrupt patient care and no unauthorised access to health records was confirmed.
CSA advised organisations to prioritise immediate actions, including reviewing and activating business continuity plans, managing supply-chain risks and addressing common vulnerabilities in IT systems. Companies can access the agency’s CISO-as-a-Service programme, which offers up to 70% co-funding for small and medium-sized enterprises to develop tailored cybersecurity plans. Those affected by a cyber incident can call the Cyber Incident Helpline at 6890-9555 or report the event via the CSA’s Cyber Aid webpage.
PDPC also reminded organisations to limit data collection to what is necessary and to implement data-loss-prevention measures, referencing its Guide to Data Protection Practices for ICT Systems and a joint advisory with CSA on securing application programming interfaces. Consumers were advised to share only essential data, use secondary email accounts for non-critical services and remain vigilant against phishing scams.