Cambodia cybercrime crackdown arrest tally hits 2,000
The United Nations has described Southeast Asia as the "ground zero" of cybercrime centres, where workers typically use romance or business cons to defraud web users of an estimated US$40 billion annually.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet this week issued a directive telling law enforcement and the military to clamp down on the internet sweatshops or risk losing their jobs.
Information minister Neth Pheaktra, a member of a committee to combat online scams, told AFP authorities had expanded the scope of their raids to nine of the country's 25 provinces.
"So far, some 2,000 suspects have been arrested," he said, adding that the suspects include Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Indian nationals.
Neth Preaktra said the government wants to make the country "no safe haven for online scammers" and "will dismantle every scam network no matter where they hide".
At least 226 Chinese nationals were among the detained suspects, according to a police report, which said some ringleaders would face prosecution in Cambodia while most others would be expelled.
The justice ministry also said it had suspended one prosecutor pending an investigation after he released several cybercrime suspects.
Abuses in Cambodia's scam centres are happening on a "mass scale", Amnesty International said in a report published last month.
There are at least 53 scam compounds in Cambodia where organised criminal groups carry out human trafficking, forced labour, child labour, torture, deprivation of liberty and slavery, the report said.
Many of those freed from Southeast Asian scam centres say they were trafficked or lured there under false pretences.
In March, Cambodia deported 119 Thais - among 230 foreign nationals detained during raids on alleged cyber scam centres in Poipet city.
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SAF and MINDEF units part of Singapore's response to ongoing cyberattack: Chan Chun Sing
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2 days ago
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Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4.5 years in sugar graft case
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CNA
2 days ago
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Singapore actively dealing with ongoing cyberattack on critical infrastructure: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: Singapore is actively dealing with UNC3886, a "highly sophisticated threat actor" that is attacking critical infrastructure, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Friday (Jul 18). Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm owned by Google, describes UNC3886 as a "China-nexus espionage group" that has targeted prominent strategic organisations on a global scale. The threat actor poses a serious danger to Singapore and could undermine the country's national security, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister. He added that it was not in Singapore's security interests to disclose further details of the attack at this point in time. Elaborating on "advanced persistent threats" (APTs), of which UNC3886 is one, Mr Shanmugam said these were highly sophisticated and well-resourced threat actors. Between 2021 and 2024, suspected APT attacks on Singapore increased more than four-fold, he said. The minister was speaking at a dinner to mark 10 years since the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) was established in 2015. In a separate statement, CSA said it was leading investigations into UNC3886 and supporting affected organisations with relevant agencies and partners. "We have been investigating UNC3886's activities since it was detected in parts of our critical infrastructure," the agency said. CSA said it was also monitoring all critical sectors and sharing threat intelligence so that they can take preventive measures. The critical sectors are energy, water, banking and finance, healthcare, transport, government, information and communications, media, and security and emergency services. "These attacks are often protracted campaigns and CSA will need to preserve operational security by not disclosing further information at this stage," it added. Mr Shanmugam said that APTs typically act on state objectives to steal sensitive information and disrupt essential services, attacking critical infrastructure like healthcare, telcos, water, transport and power. He said that UNC3886 deploys advanced tools to compromise systems, and is able to evade detection and maintain persistent access in "victim networks". "Industry has associated UNC3886 with cyberattacks against critical areas including defence, telcos, technology organisations in the United States and in Asia," he said. "The intent of this threat actor in attacking Singapore is quite clear. It is going after high value strategic threat targets, vital infrastructure that deliver essential services. "If it succeeds, it can conduct espionage and it can cause major disruption to Singapore and Singaporeans." MORE DANGEROUS WORLD Mr Shanmugam said that the world faced more dangers in cyberspace now than it did 10 years ago. "It is no longer enough only to guard our most critical systems. Potential targets have increased. They include external vendors, suppliers, service providers along the entire supply chain. Even residential devices like home routers, IP cameras are now being exploited by cyber attackers," he said. He noted that physical conflicts have also spilled over into the digital world, with actors launching cyberattacks to bring down critical infrastructure. "Singapore has been attacked as well. We are a relevant country geopolitically. We are a digital and data hub that connects the world. And people want to get into our systems, to both influence us and threaten us," he said. In Singapore, nearly 80 per cent of organisations have experienced a cyberattack, most committed by cyber criminals. "'Hacktivists' and foreign actors have also used cyber to promote their agendas. Both political and ideological agendas," said Mr Shanmugam. He noted that in October 2024, the government blocked 10 websites set up by foreign actors that were masquerading as Singapore websites. These had the potential to be used for hostile information campaigns against Singapore, he said. He also recalled last year's cyberattack involving over 2,700 devices in Singapore, including baby monitors and routers. These devices were part of a global "botnet" comprising hundreds of everyday devices that could have been used to disrupt critical services. Mr Shanmugam illlustrated how a cyberattack could destabilise national security. "Say there is a cyberattack on our power systems. They can disrupt our electricity supply. And the knock-on implications: other essential services, like water supply, transport, medical services – in fact, everything that depends on power, everything will be affected. "There are economic implications. Banks, airport, industries would not be able to operate. Our economy can be substantially impacted." Attacks on telco systems and payment systems can also have serious consequences and impact how Singapore does business, he added. Singapore will have to reexamine its vendors and supply chains. "And if we decide that we cannot trust them, then we may choose not to use them," he said. "At the same time, trust and confidence in Singapore as a whole can also be affected. Businesses may shy away if they are unsure about our systems, and whether the systems are clean, resilient, safe." Mr Shanmugam said the government must be "realistic" about what it is up against. "We are up against very sophisticated actors, some backed by countries with vast resources." These resources in manpower and technology are almost unlimited and can be deployed at a "formidable scale", he said. "Even countries at the frontier of technology have not been able to prevent APT attacks on their systems. "So realistically, we will have to accept that some attacks, at least, will get through," he said. In the face of such threats, the government will have to continue to strengthen Singapore's cyberdefences and focus on preventing and containing threats, he said.
