Cyber Security
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, touring the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). The guided-missile destroyer USS William P Lawrence (DDG 110) with embarked MH-60R helicopter joined static displays at Singapore's Changi Naval Base and multilateral exercises osted by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Photo Credit: IMDEX ASIA 2019.
Cyber threats in the high seas By Jane Lo APSM correspondant
42 | Asia Pacific Security Magazine
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rom wire-guided torpedos, anti-air warfare sensors, dipping sonar and high power microwave to disable outboard motors of hostile vessels, capabilities in the communication systems provide the decisive advantages to military operations in the high seas. Communication systems – including Internet, telecommunications - with computers, embedded processors and controllers, form the interdependent network that make up Cyberspace, which is widely acknowledged to be the 5th dimension of warfare that coexists with the traditional four land, sea, air and space. Defending this Cyberspace, used for synchronizing, storing, coordinating and protecting information, is therefore critical to the success of the military’s mission – not unlike in the commercial sector. However, the threat actors targeting the military cyber assets are typically state-sponsored. The treasure trove of information of extreme sensitivity is without a doubt a favored target for causing impactful conflicts and disruption, and effective gathering and compromise of intelligence. One case reported in Singapore was a 2017 attack on the system
used at military premises which resulted in the theft of the personal data of about 850 national servicemen and Ministry of Defence employees. “Traditional threats (land, maritime and air-based) continue to persist, with increasing volume of maritime traffic and emergent threat of transnational maritime terrorism, piracy and sea robberies. Technological advancements and digitisation have also led to cyber-related threats, prompting military strategies to integrate technologies to manage both traditional and digital threats”, said Mr Leck Chet Lam (Managing Director, Experia Events Pte Ltd) at IMDEX Asia 2019, the Asia-Pacific’s biennial maritime defense event for naval and maritime stakeholders (14TH – 16TH May 2019, Changi Exhibition Centre). The twin considerations of innovation and security were reflected at IMDEX Asia 2019 International Maritime Security Conference business forums – “Cybersecurity in the Maritime Domain” and “Innovation in the Maritime Domain”. One example of the increasingly parallel conversations surrounding these two themes is the land-based autonomous