The hackers of Singapore have invaded a military system of their own country which holds the non-classified data of around 850 servicemen and employees, including their personal data i.e., NRIC numbers, telephone numbers, and dates of birth, said Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Tuesday.
Hackers managed the data access through the ministry I-net system(I-net), giving internet access to employees and national workers for their personal use and also to the I-net users in MINDEF and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) camps and premises.
The ministry told that the I-net system does not contain any classified military details. However, classified military data is stored in another computer without internet access and with more efficacious security features.
Whereas to ensure security, Singapore in June 2016 announced to cut off the internet from government workstations within one year. This was a surprising step taken by the Singapore industry, but according to them, it would protect the government email network from malware and cyberattack.
The affected server was disconnected from the I-net after the happening, said MINDEF.
The ministry said that an instant step was taken to conduct a detailed forensic investigation on the I-net to check the intensity of the data breach. However, all the other computers within MINDEF/SAF will be examined as a preventive measure.
The reason behind this malicious step could be an effort to gain the official secrets, but fortunately, due to the separated I-net and internal system, the target could not be achieved, the ministry added.
MINDEF said that a notification to the Cyber Security Agency and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore had been given.
After the cyber attacks on Singapore government websites, including those of its president and prime minister, in August 2014, Singapore officials announce new measures to enhance cyber security.
In regard to that, Singapore is hosting SecurityWeek’s 2017 Singapore ICS Cyber Security Conference, with an aim to serve critical infrastructure and industrial internet stakeholders of the APAC region. The event will take place on April 25-27, 2017, at the Fairmont Singapore with organizational support from Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency.
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About the Author
Zehra Ali is a Tech Reporter and Journalist. She has done her Masters in Mass Communication. Topics related to cybersecurity, IoT, AI, Big Data and other privacy matters are extensively covered by her on various platforms. You can follow her on twitter.
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