Singapore Sees Decreased Global Reliance On Western Tech as Cybersecurity Trend to Watch

By Massita Ahmad SINGAPORE, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- A decreased global reliance on western technology due to the increased geopolitical tensions is one of the four anticipated cybersecurity trends to watch, highlighted in the Singapore Cyber Landscape (SCL) 2021 report on Monday. In releasing the report, Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) said Russia had previously faced a major hurdle in decoupling from US technology, due to the risks that various payment services and product offerings used by Russian citizens would be suspended. “With the sanctions imposed by western technology firms, Russia’s desire to wean itself off western technology is very likely to strengthen. “Meanwhile, countries such as China have also sought to gain self-sufficiency in advanced technology areas. A world of differing cyber norms, ecosystems, and standards may become a reality in the near future,” said CSA. Another trend to watch, highlighted by the report, is non-state actors playing a larger role in geopolitical conflicts. CSA said cybercriminal and hacktivist groups have been observed taking sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, engaging in more malicious cyber activities for politically-motivated purposes, in addition to personal gain. “This development increases the risk of reprisals, as any serious cyber incident by these groups may be used as a pretext for escalation by one side or the other. “In a hyper-connected global cyberspace, collateral damage to organisations not linked to Russia or Ukraine has become a worrying possibility,” it said. The other two anticipated cybersecurity trends to watch against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and dynamic cyber threat landscape are the rise of crypto-based scams, and targeting critical Internet of Things (IoT) devices in ransomware attacks, said the agency. -- BERNAMA