Singapore's National Cybercrime Action Plan (NCAP) has been launched to deter, detect and disrupt cybercriminal activity and to create a safe and secure online environment.
K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, announced the plan on July 20,k 2016 at the RSA Conference Asia-Pacific & Japan.
Shanmugam said the NCAP sets out the Singapore government's strategies in combating cybercrime. The NCAP also details the government's ongoing efforts, as well as future plans, to effectively deal with the threat of cybercrime.
“There are four key principles underlying this. First is of course prevention. Second, a quick, strong response to cybercrime. Third, making sure that the legal framework is robust, and fourth, this cannot be done by us alone. It has got to be done in partnership, so it is a shared responsibility,” said Shanmugam.
The vision of the NCAP is to ensure a safe and secure online environment for Singapore. To achieve this, the government will adopt a multi-pronged strategy. Shanmugam said the government's strategy to combat cybercrime has four key priorities:
a) Educating and empowering the public to stay safe in cyberspace;
b) Enhancing the Government's capacity and capability to combat cybercrime;
c) Strengthening legislation and the criminal justice framework; and
d) Stepping up partnerships and international engagements.
“The activities of cybercriminals will continue to grow in scale, complexity and severity worldwide, and the transnational nature of cybercrime will continue to pose legal and operational difficulties for law enforcement agencies,” said Shanmugam. “Prevention must therefore be a key component of the strategy to counter the threat of cybercrime.”
Shanmugam said the government will foster strong partnerships between industry, institutes of higher learning, the public and law enforcement agencies, and forge a sense of shared responsibility in the fight against cybercrime, so that “collectively we create a safe and secure online environment.”
Education
“The first priority has to be to train our people, to be smarter, better in dealing with cyberspace, and empower them to work in cyberspace,” said Shanmugam.
According to Shanmugam, the Singapore Police Force will go on a mass education campaign in schools. They will use the media, including social media, as well as existing platforms. “We will also reach out through our Neighbourhood Police Centres. In 2015, we conducted more than 80 roadshows across the island using our Crime Prevention Ambassadors and that will continue, with a special focus on the groups which are more vulnerable – senior citizens and the younger people. They will work with NGOs and schools to raise awareness. Our National Crime Prevention Council will be launching a new app, called the 'Cyro' game app for children later this year.”
Shanmugam said that the current Scam alert website will be transformed into a one-stop self-help portal.
Government's capacity and capability
To enhance the government’s capacity and capability to combat cybercrime, all government agencies will be upgraded.
“Late last year, a new Cybercrime Command was established and that Command brings together capabilities of the enforcement agencies, particularly the Police, in forensics, intelligence and crime prevention. The formation of the Command will help improve the coordination, teamwork and response,” said Shanmugam.
Shanmugam adds that the Command will also oversee the Cybercrime Response Teams (CRTs). The CRTs will be in every Police Land Division and will have a level of proficiency and expertise in investigations and digital forensics. The Police have developed new tools, for example, which will allow them, through a process of automation, the ability to process a huge amount of data, without somebody having to go through it.
The government has also set up in 2014, the Cyber Security Lab (CSL), which is a modern hands-on training laboratory. CSL will expand its curriculum to cover a variety of topics like cyber security fundamentals, digital forensics and malware analysis and equip our officers with the necessary skills.
Legislation and justice
For the third priority, Shanmugam said legislation has to be re-looked.
“In the past, crime was often territorial and geographical. You look at it and deal with it. Today, it is across borders and we have to update our laws to make sure that it remains relevant and redefine what crime is, if necessary, to deal with the transnational nature of crimes and the new and evolving tactics of criminals.”
Local and international partnerships
Finally, the fourth priority is partnerships. Shanmugam emphasized that the private sector, both local and overseas, plays a critical role in the fight against cybercrime.
“The best expertise in technology does not often reside in the government. It often resides in the private sector and Institutes of Higher Learning, with industry,” said Shanmugam.
“For example, we are working with the industry to develop customised malware analysis tools. We are also working with our Institutes of Higher Learning like Temasek Polytechnic, for example, to develop a new lab [Temasek Advanced Learning, Nurturing and Testing Laboratory (TALENT Lab)] which will allow students to test their innovations against the latest cyber threats that have been identified. This will be operational by next year.”
Shanmugam said the government will also work with other governments across the globe to fight cybercrime. “We can contribute in the area of capability development both regionally and internationally. As ASEAN's Voluntary Lead Shepherd on Cybercrime, we hope to support our fellow ASEAN Members in this fight.”
Shanmugam also revealed that the the Ministry of Home Affairs has established a new Institute of Safety and Security Studies (ISSS). ISSS will promote thought leadership and seek to build expertise in different areas, including Cybercrime. Training courses will be conducted, not only for Singapore’s own officers but also for its partners from ASEAN member states.
The government, Shanmugam said, will also continue to work with INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation which is INTERPOL's global hub on cybercrime. Through IGCI, INTERPOL has conducted several successful global operations.
“Ultimately, our National Cybercrime Action Plan is a recognition of a change that cybercrime will bring about in our society and a fundamental relook at our approaches, our laws, our outreach efforts, the way we train and equip our Police officers, and the way our agencies work with partners both within and outside of Singapore.”