Digital & technology — Topics

9 Jan 2024

Statistics of Internet Banking Scams Caused by Compromises to Smartphones by Malware

Dr. Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Home Affairs about the number of internet banking scams since 2022 caused by smartphone malware and the operating system breakdown.
From January 2022 to November 2023, there were about 2,000 reports of victims downloading malware onto their phones.
All reported cases involved compromised Android devices, with no cases detected involving iOS devices.

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9 Jan 2024

Collaborating with Messaging Service Providers to Prevent and Track Phishing Scams

Dr Wan Rizal raised concerns about recent phishing scams involving WhatsApp and asked about collaboration with messaging providers and international cooperation to track overseas scammers.
Minister K Shanmugam detailed the scam method, noted collaborations with Meta and Google to block phishing sites and protect accounts, and highlighted public advisories and the upcoming Online Criminal Harms Act.
The Minister emphasized that international cooperation efforts were previously addressed in a November 2023 written reply and urged the public to adopt the “Add, Check, Tell” steps to enhance personal security.

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9 Jan 2024

Upgrade for Green Link Determining System to Balance Demands between Motorists and Pedestrians

Mr Lim Biow Chuan requested an update on upgrades to the Green Link Determining (GLIDE) system to dynamically adjust traffic signal timings for balancing motorist and pedestrian demands.
Chee Hong Tat, speaking for the Minister for Transport, explained that GLIDE uses detector loops and pedestrian buttons to optimize traffic flows and is being improved through collaborations with industry and research partners.
Any enhancements to the GLIDE system will undergo rigorous testing before being assessed for deployment to ensure they effectively balance demands between motorists and pedestrians.

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9 Jan 2024

Assessment Criteria for Closure of SingPost Branches

The Infocomm Media Development Authority evaluates SingPost branch closures based on declining physical postal usage, with transactions dropping 35% from FY2019 to FY2022, and ensures alternative services like self-service kiosks and parcel stations are available.
The Government expects SingPost to maintain a minimal physical footprint by shifting to automated and digital solutions, such as mobile apps and POPStations, while balancing business viability with residents' basic postal needs.
SingPost aims to balance commercial sustainability with community needs by providing advance notice of closures and ensuring access to nearby alternative services like SAM kiosks and POPStations.
The closure of the Yishun Central Post Office reflects broader trends of reduced in-person transactions, with 80% of post office activities now for non-postal services that can be handled through other channels.

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9 Jan 2024

Lifts in HDB Flats Fitted with Lift Monitoring Devices that Rely on 3G Modems

About 85% of HDB lifts (roughly 23,000) are currently fitted with lift monitoring devices (LMDs) using 3G modems, while lifts completed since October 2022 have 4G-capable LMDs.
The LMD Enhancement Programme will replace all 3G LMDs with 4G versions by end-2025, with continued support for 3G devices until replacement, and IMDA requires network operators to ensure migration before 3G retirement.
The Ministry of National Development and HDB are coordinating with other ministries, regulators, and mobile operators to manage the transition, engaging town councils on scheduling, while private building owners must work with vendors to upgrade their systems.

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9 Jan 2024

Regulations on Input Prompts for Large Language Models to Prevent Disclosure of Confidential Data

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked whether the Government plans to develop in-house AI capabilities to avoid reliance on private firms or foreign cloud units for processing input prompts for large language models (LLMs).
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked how the Government prevents confidential data disclosure in input prompts when using private or foreign LLMs, whether NDAs are signed with companies, which companies have NDAs, and how compliance is monitored.
Mrs Josephine Teo responded that the Government uses a risk-managed approach, keeping highly sensitive data offline and using open-source models on Government servers for sensitive data, while for less-sensitive data, commercial models are used with contractual safeguards and technical measures.
Contracts with companies include clauses on data handling, non-retention, and limitations on data use for training, alongside technical screening, user reminders, and governance measures to enforce compliance.
The Government continuously reassesses its measures as technology evolves.

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9 Jan 2024

Stepped-up Measures to Combat Phishing-related Crimes to Enhance Cybersecurity for Individuals

The Ministry of Home Affairs, with agencies like the Singapore Police Force, is collaborating with platforms such as Meta and Google to block phishing sites and mitigate fraudulent account takeovers.
The Online Criminal Harms Act will enable the government to direct platforms to disable suspicious accounts and require providers to implement upstream safeguards against scams.
Government campaigns, including the National Cybersecurity Campaign and targeted programmes, aim to raise public awareness and promote good cyber practices to enhance individual vigilance.
Police advisories encourage the public to adopt simple steps like enabling two-step verification, checking official websites, and reporting suspicious activity to combat phishing scams.
Despite technological measures, authorities emphasize that a vigilant public remains the best defence against evolving cyber threats and phishing-related crimes.

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9 Jan 2024

Measures to Develop Baseline Artificial Intelligence Literacy of Students

MOE is developing students' baseline AI literacy through school-based programmes, Applied Learning Programmes, and the AI Student Outreach Programme, which had close to 17,000 applicants in 2023 with a breakdown across secondary, polytechnic, Integrated Programme, and junior college students.
Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning teach ethical AI use, including evaluating AI-generated content, identifying misinformation like deepfakes, and understanding data privacy, with examples like using generative AI tools in design and food science projects.
The Ministry collaborates with other government agencies, such as MCI, to promote digital citizenship and address AI-related risks, while ensuring equitable access to AI learning resources through platforms like the Singapore Student Learning Space.

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22 Nov 2023

Government's Approach and Policy on Governing Safe and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Development

The Minister stated that Singapore’s AI governance approach balances innovation with safe and responsible use, as explained in several parliamentary sessions throughout 2023.
Singapore supports international alignment on AI governance, citing recent engagements like the Bletchley Declaration and a joint mapping exercise between IMDA’s AI Verify and the US NIST framework.
Future steps include partnering with the UK AI Safety Institute, continuing bilateral AI governance talks with the US, and participating in multilateral efforts at the UN, World Economic Forum, and Global Partnership on AI.

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22 Nov 2023

Average Number of Cyberattacks on Public Healthcare Institutions Annually

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked about the average number of cyberattacks on public healthcare institutions over the past five years, the safeguards in place, and why a specific cyberattack on 1 November 2023 succeeded in causing a seven-hour disruption.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that Synapxe blocks an average of 3,000 malicious emails daily and 1.7 million firewall bypass attempts monthly, with healthcare systems protected under the Cybersecurity Act using a layered defence-in-depth approach, including a Security Operations Centre, incident response processes, and regular cybersecurity exercises.
The 1 November 2023 disruption was caused by a DDoS attack that circumvented anti-DDoS services and overwhelmed the firewall, leading to filtering that made websites and internet-reliant services inaccessible; since then, anti-DDoS measures have been enhanced and the sector is reviewing defences and response times.

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22 Nov 2023

Lessons from Seven-hour Disruption to Websites of Major Public Healthcare Institutions on 1 November 2023

The seven-hour disruption to public healthcare websites on 1 November 2023 was caused by a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack that overwhelmed firewalls, but patient care and critical clinical systems remained unaffected with no data breaches.
The incident highlighted rising DPGS threats and the need for evolving defences, prompting public healthcare to review and improve its DPGS mitigation, incident response, and recovery processes.
Measures will be implemented to prevent reoccurrence, including enhancing DPGS protections, updating response protocols, and ensuring resilience of internet-reliant services without compromising healthcare operations.

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22 Nov 2023

Enhancing Resilience from Lessons of Extended Large-scale Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack on Public Healthcare Institutions on 1 November 2023

The Government acknowledges that increasing digitalisation makes Singapore more vulnerable to cyber incidents and service disruptions, and emphasises that while some disruption is inevitable, prolonged outages should not be the norm.
Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) and key systems are prioritised for hardening, with minimum availability targets (e.g., 99.5% uptime) and regulatory requirements imposed by sector regulators to ensure service resilience across sectors like healthcare, banking, and telecommunications.
The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) are reviewing measures, including the Cybersecurity Act, to expand protection to other important digital infrastructure and services, with more details to be provided once ready.

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22 Nov 2023

Enhancing ActiveSG App to Provide Real-time Updates on Closures of Swimming Pools

Ong Hua Han asked whether the Ministry plans to enhance the ActiveSG app to provide real-time updates on swimming pool closures due to bad weather and the timeline for this.
Edwin Tong Chun Fai stated that Sport Singapore already uses real-time data from the NEA’s Lightning Information Service to decide pool closures, which is available via the myENV app.
He noted that Sport Singapore will consider incorporating this information into future upgrades of the ActiveSG app for greater user convenience.

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22 Nov 2023

Moneylenders (Amendment) Bill

The Bill amends the Moneylenders Act to enhance data sharing and usage by aligning with whole-of-Government standards, allowing the Registrar to share borrower information with public agencies for policy and operational purposes while ensuring safeguards under the Public Sector (Governance) Act.
It expands the functions of the Moneylenders Credit Bureau (MLCB) to provide credit reports on sureties and business reports to moneylenders, while permitting licensed moneylenders to share borrower information with prescribed credit bureaux and third parties for welfare and debt recovery purposes, subject to data protection measures.
The Bill facilitates digitalisation by allowing moneylenders to use alternative communication methods like apps or WhatsApp for account statements, and introduces technical amendments such as standardising interest rate disclosures and record-keeping requirements.
Members of Parliament raised concerns about data privacy, surety consent for credit reports, wrongful payment demands, and AML/CFT measures, with the Ministry clarifying safeguards, enforcement mechanisms, and alignment with existing laws like the Personal Data Protection Act.
The Bill was supported by all speakers, with the Ministry committing to monitor industry standards and protect borrowers while enabling more efficient and responsible moneylending practices.

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22 Nov 2023

Data Security Incident Involving Personal Data of Members of Shopping Loyalty Programme

The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) investigated the Marina Bay Sands data breach involving 655,000 members, confirming the incident was reported within required timelines, and will release its findings publicly once completed.
Affected individuals were notified with details on the data exposed and steps to safeguard their accounts, and the PDPC received feedback from two affected members who requested accountability from MBS.
Existing PDPA guidelines already require enhanced safeguards for organizations holding large volumes of sensitive personal data, with potential penalties for non-compliance, and no immediate changes to these obligations are planned.

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22 Nov 2023

Measures to Tackle Rising Number of Telegram Channels Selling Sexually Explicit Materials

The Government has updated laws, including the Online Criminal Harms Act, to allow police to issue directions to online platforms like Telegram to disable access to non-consensual sexually explicit materials in Singapore, with penalties for non-compliance.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority enforces a Code of Practice for Online Safety, requiring designated social media services to minimize harmful content, and may expand this to include Telegram if necessary.
There is a need for upstream measures, such as education and campaigns to foster respectful culture between genders and support for survivors of sexual crimes, alongside specialized police units for better victim management.
Parliamentary questions raised include exploring age verification mechanisms to protect minors from accessing harmful apps, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Information and IMDA.

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22 Nov 2023

Allowing Private Hire Car and Taxi Drivers to Install Passenger Facing Video Recorders with Audio Functions

The Land Transport Authority already allows drivers to install authorized passenger-facing video recorders with audio functions, provided they are installed at approved centers and with prior permission.
To protect privacy, recordings can only be accessed for official investigations and must be stored securely, while vehicles must display notices to inform passengers of the devices.
Drivers are prohibited from using unauthorized devices like personal phones to record, and passengers must be informed so they can choose not to use such a vehicle.
The government encourages mutual respect between drivers and commuters, and drivers can seek recourse under harassment laws if passengers record and share videos without consent.

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22 Nov 2023

Update on Digital Cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia through Nongsa Digital Park and its Outlook

Nongsa Digital Park (NDP) in Batam houses around 1,000 tech talents serving about 250 Singapore-based companies, including MNCs, SMEs, and startups from sectors like finance, digital media, and software engineering.
Data centre investments by Singapore-based firms such as Princeton Digital Group and GDS Holdings in NDP support Southeast Asia's digital economies and create jobs for both Singapore and Indonesia.
The NDP special economic zone and its extension, Nongsa Digital Town, aim to bridge Singapore and Indonesia's digital economies, with Nongsa Digital Town slated to host 8,000 more tech talents upon completion.
Singapore's agencies are collaborating with Indonesian counterparts to leverage complementary strengths and expand partnerships in Indonesia's growing digital economy.

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22 Nov 2023

Solutions to Defray Cost Increases in National Library Board's Decision to Cease Subscription to E-learning Platform

The National Library Board (NLB) will cease its subscription to the Udemy Business e-learning platform on 15 December 2023 due to a new licensing model that is significantly more expensive, offers fewer courses, and restricts user access.
The Ministry stated that while the cost per user has increased and access is limited, Singaporeans can still use their SkillsFuture Credit to claim for Udemy courses directly from SkillsFuture Singapore, and NLB is actively seeking alternative e-learning resources to replace the platform.
During the debate, the Ministry provided an analogy to illustrate that the new Udemy model is akin to a restrictive buffet, offering far less value for a higher price, and assured that NLB will continue to support lifelong learning through other curated resources and partnerships.
A supplementary question was raised regarding the accuracy of using SkillsFuture Credit for Udemy courses, to which the Ministry responded that they would verify and provide further clarification, as current information suggests Udemy courses may not be available for claims.

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22 Nov 2023

Adoption Rate and Effectiveness of ScamShield in Preventing Scams

ScamShield has been launched on iOS and Android, with about 750,000 downloads by October 2023, and has blocked approximately 80,000 scam-tainted phone numbers and flagged around five million potential scam SMSes since March 2022.
The government is enhancing ScamShield to improve user reporting and detection accuracy, and it works alongside telcos and other agencies to block scam calls and lines, with over 3,700 mobile lines and 180 million scam calls blocked in the first half of 2023.
While ScamShield does not cover social media or email platforms, the government uses other measures like the Online Criminal Harms Act and coordination with platform operators to remove scam accounts, and it complements banking apps’ anti-malware features to protect users from different scam vectors.

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