SINGAPORE — Cyberattacks are a danger to the Republic and something
that the Government takes “very seriously”, said Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong today (Nov 6).
“Our IT network, the Internet, our communications have become an
essential part of our business and our lives now. If your network
is down, you can’t connect, you can’t work, you can’t keep in touch
with what’s happening in the world, with what’s happening whether
if it’s in your business, your family, or in Singapore,” said Mr
Lee.
“And, therefore, when somebody threatens to do harm to it … we take
that very seriously and we will spare no effort to try and track
down the culprits and if we can find him, we will bring him to
justice and he will be dealt with severely. It has to be,” he said,
speaking to reporters at the sidelines of Exercise Highcrest
2013.
In his first comments on “The Messiah” hacker who threatened “war”
on the Singapore Government in a YouTube video last week, Mr Lee
said: “It’s not just anything goes and you’re anonymous and
therefore there’s no responsibility. You may think you’re anonymous
— we will make the extra effort to find out who you are.”
He also said that the Government has taken steps to harden its
system from vulnerabilities — although IT systems are complicated
and cannot be entirely impenetrable — and will track down anyone
who attacks it on the cyber front and “bring him back to
justice”.
