Why did Singapore name cyberthreat group UNC3886 and is it linked to China?
UNC3886 has been identified by Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant as a China-linked cyber espionage group, although Beijing's embassy in Singapore has vehemently rejected the claim.
Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said during a speech at the 10th anniversary of the Cyber Security Agency last Friday that from 2021 to last year, suspected advanced persistent threats against Singapore had increased more than fourfold. These threats often carried out state objectives, the minister noted.
Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister, said one advanced persistent threat group Singapore was facing was UNC3886, which the industry had associated with cyberattacks against critical areas such as defence, telecommunications and technology organisations in the United States and Asia.
'The intent of this threat actor in attacking Singapore is quite clear. They are going after high value, strategic targets. Vital infrastructure that delivers our essential services. If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage, and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans,' he said, without naming the suspected country linked to UNC3886.
Less than a day after his speech, the minister posted that lottery numbers for 3886 in Singapore had been sold out. 'I said Singaporeans need to know that UNC3886 is attacking us in cyberspace. And that it's very serious. One reaction: No 3886 has been sold out for 4D today,' he wrote on social media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese hacking groups are behind SharePoint attacks, Microsoft says
Microsoft accused Chinese state-sponsored hackers of using flaws in its SharePoint document management software in a hacking campaign that has targeted businesses and government agencies around the world. In a blog post on Tuesday, the tech giant identified two groups supported by the Chinese government, Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon, as leveraging flaws in SharePoint software used by customers who managed it on their own networks, as opposed to in the cloud. Another hacking group based in China, which Microsoft calls Storm-2603, also exploited the SharePoint vulnerabilities, according to the blog. 'Investigations into other actors also using these exploits is still ongoing,' Microsoft said. 'With the rapid adoption of these exploits, Microsoft assesses with high confidence that threat actors will continue to integrate them into their attacks.' In a statement, the Chinese embassy said China firmly opposes all forms of cyberattacks and cybercrime. 'At the same time, we also firmly oppose smearing others without solid evidence,' said the statement.
The Standard
6 hours ago
- The Standard
Gold retreats from five-week high as investors book profits
US not rushing trade deals ahead of August deadline, will talk with China, Bessent says
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How China's latest mega-dam threatens to undermine thaw in ties with India
Donald Trump's approach to international relations has placed China on the defensive, but by also alienating key US allies and partners, it may have created an unexpected opening for Beijing. Since the US president unveiled his tariff plans in April, Beijing has significantly ramped up efforts to improve ties with Europe, Southeast Asia, and even its most formidable regional rivals – Japan and India. In a sign of deepening detente between the Himalayan neighbours, India's external affairs minister S. Jaishankar visited Beijing last week for the first time since a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. During the visit, Jaishankar, a former ambassador to both China and the United States, met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Vice-President Han Zheng, along with President Xi Jinping as part of a group meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The trip was widely seen as paving the way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin at the end of August. According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi said he hoped to 'chart the course of the organisation together' with the nine other members of the SCO.
