New attack on critical infrastructure a timely warning for Singapore

AN unfortunate corollary of today's digitalised world is that cyber attacks have become an almost daily occurrence. Still, experts sat up and took notice when, earlier this month, cybersecurity company FireEye, which monitors cyber attacks across the globe, warned that traces of a malware called Triton were found in a critical infrastructure facility.

This particular malware falls under a category called advanced persistent threat (APT), which includes some of the most sophisticated hacking codes ever written. The cryptic warning didn't reveal the particular installation but gave instructions of what other critical infrastructure facilities needed to do to protect themselves.

Triton specifically targets oil, gas and water plants in an insidious but crippling attack. In August last year a Saudi Arabian petrochemical plant was hit by the malware and was shut down. According to investigators, the intention was not to just shut down the plant. Rather, the objective was to trigger an explosion in the plant which fortunately did not materialise. The investigators have been tight-lipped about the company or country behind the attack.