Singapore cyber summit stresses need for unified front amid rising threats
Policymakers and industry leaders say close partnerships between governments and tech giants can ensure swift responses to cybercrimes
Speaking at the Singapore International Cyber Week, policymakers and industry leaders said closer partnerships were essential to sharing threat intelligence, innovating jointly and mounting coordinated responses to cyberattacks.
These partnerships were crucial as government organisations might not be equipped in developing technology, said Claudia Plattner, president of the German Federal Office for Information Security, during a panel session.
Burhan Gafoor, permanent representative of Singapore to the United Nations, said states were often slower to act in the face of evolving technology, and would take time to set new rules and legislations.
“They might not be fast enough, so cooperation with the private sector is very important. Together, when we share information, we can react more swiftly.”
Speakers at the summit on Tuesday and Wednesday noted the escalation of cybercrimes, including the proliferation of advanced persistent threats (APT) – sophisticated attacks which steal sensitive data or disrupt essential services – ransomware and scams.