Bilateral pacts and Singapore's role in helping countries create a secure cyber domain

WITH the coronavirus pandemic having given a major filip to the use of technology around the world, it is now even more imperative to protect vital networks from criminal gangs and state-backed hackers looking to steal valuable data and inflict massive damage.

Indeed, cybersecurity has been one of the most intractable problems that nations - as well as global bodies such as the United Nations - have had to grapple with over the past decade. For Singapore - which faces an unprecedented level of exposure to cyber threats - a safe and secure digital infrastructure is essential to fulfil the country's digital economy ambitions.

It bears repeating that cybercriminals can operate with impunity not because of any technological superiority. Cyber defence has become very robust especially in technologically-advanced nations such as Singapore. The problem lies in the fact that cybercrime is borderless and so even after the perpetrators of a criminal hacking incident are identified, they cannot be persecuted because it's often the case that they reside in countries that shelter them. This lack of visible deterrence is the biggest handicap faced by cybersecurity officials.