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Hackers hit Thai government with DDoS attacks protesting against restrictive internet law

Classified government records are believed to have been accessed by the hackers. Anonymous hackers have reportedly hit Thailand government websites with targeted DDoS attacks in retaliation for the passage of a bill which is feared to impose considerable restrictions on internet freedom. The bill introduced amendments to the country’s computer crime law and was unanimously passed by the military-appointed legislature on 16 December, according to reports. The new law allows Thai authorities to monitor and access private communications as well as censor online content without a court order. The DDoS attack knocked out Thailand’s defence ministry website. At the time of writing, the site remains inaccessible. Anonymous hackers also reportedly targeted the Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Office of the National Security Council. A hacker, claiming to be part of the Anonymous campaign against the Thai government titled “Op Single Gateway”, going by the pseudonym “blackplans”, posted screenshots on Twitter of what he/she claimed were documents stolen from the compromised government sites. The Thai defence ministry said the attack accomplished little. “They couldn’t do anything because we have defence systems in place that are ready for such situations,” said Kongcheep Tantrawanich, a defence ministry spokesman,” ABC News reported. He warned that further attacks could lead to “destroying financial systems, banks, transportation systems, airports and can cause damage toward the population of an entire country”. The Thai government characterised the hackers as “thugs” bent upon “creating chaos” and “overstepping boundaries”. The government has also asked the public to come forward with information about the hackers. Thai cyber controls raise censorship and privacy concerns Privacy groups have raised concerns about Thailand’s new cyber laws, which are believed to infringe on human rights and freedom of expression. The UN Office of Human Rights said in a statement on Monday (19 December): “We are concerned by amendments to Thai legislation that could threaten online freedoms, and call on the government to ensure the country’s cyber laws comply with international human rights standards.” According to local reports, Amnesty International, in collaboration with the Thai Netizen Network, lodged a petition with the Thai National Legislative Assembly. The petition, which has also been endorsed by 300,000 internet users, calls for reconsideration of the amendments to the computer crime act. “The bill is very broad and open to interpretation and we will have to see how the government will implement these laws,” said Arthit Suriyawongkul of the Thai Netizen Network. “It’s not the law itself that is a rights violation, but the authorities’ extensive power when monitoring and censoring online content, which could raise privacy concerns.” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha defended the amendments to the nation’s cyber laws. “This law is for when anyone posts something that is poisonous to society so that we know where it comes from,” Prayuth said, Reuters reported. “Don’t think this is a rights violation. This isn’t what we call a rights violation … this is what we call a law to be used against those who violate the law,” he said. Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/hackers-hit-thai-government-ddos-attacks-protesting-against-restrictive-internet-law-1597339

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Hackers hit Thai government with DDoS attacks protesting against restrictive internet law

Singapore rolls out high-level cyber security strategy

The Government is taking decisive steps to tackle cyber threats – including almost doubling the proportion of its technology budget dedicated to plugging security gaps in critical infrastructure. The matter, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, is one of “national importance” as the country becomes more connected in its mission to become a smart nation. At the opening of the inaugural Singapore International Cyber Week, he announced a high-level national strategy that includes strengthening international partnerships. One key prong will be to direct more funds into defence against attacks. These have ranged from malware infection to the defacing of government websites. About 8 per cent of the infocomm technology (ICT) budget will now be set aside for cyber security spending, up from about 5 per cent before. In fiscal 2014, Singapore spent $408.6 million on cyber security. The new proportion is similar to what other countries spend; Israel stipulates that 8 per cent of its total government IT budget must go to cyber security, while South Korea channels as much as 10 per cent. “We are investing more to strengthen government systems and networks, especially those that handle sensitive data, and protect them from cyber attacks,” said Mr Lee. “Singapore aspires to be a smart nation. But to be one, we must also be a safe nation,” he told more than 3,000 public servants and technology professionals from 30 countries who were also attending the 25th GovernmentWare Conference. Singapore’s cyber security strategy is developed by the Cyber Security Agency (CSA). Central to the strategy is the introduction of a new Cybersecurity Act in the middle of next year after public consultations, expected to be held after the draft legislation is tabled in Parliament next year. There is currently no over-arching cyber security legislation in Singapore. The current system of working with various sector regulators is “patchy”, said CSA chief executive David Koh, as the requirement to tighten gaps in critical infrastructure has not been worked into licensing conditions in some sectors. Mr Lee said that, while ICT creates business opportunities and boosts productivity, it also makes its users vulnerable. Globally, cyber threats and attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, with more severe consequences, he added. Last December, a successful attack on the power grid in Ukraine left many Ukrainians without electricity for hours. This year, thieves siphoned US$81 million (S$111.3 million) from the Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh, in a sophisticated cyber heist. Singapore has not been spared. “Our government networks are regularly probed and attacked,” said Mr Lee, adding that attacks included “phishing” attempts and malware infection. “From time to time, government systems have been compromised; websites have been defaced. We also suffered concerted DDOS (distributed denial of service) attacks that sought to bring our systems down,” he said. The financial sector, for instance, has suffered DDOS attacks and leaks of data. Individuals, too, have become victims of scams. Fake websites of the Singapore Police Force, Manpower Ministry, Central Provident Fund Board, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority have been set up overseas to “phish” for personal information or trick people into sending money. Mr Lee said the country must get cyber security right. “Only then can IT deliver innovation, growth and prosperity for our businesses and citizens.” Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spore-rolls-out-high-level-cyber-security-strategy

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Singapore rolls out high-level cyber security strategy