[Weekend Briefing] SICW recap, CISA’s updated guideline, North Korea’s new org chart

By Dain Oh, The Readable
Oct. 21, 2023 12:55AM GMT+9

“Weekend Briefing” is a weekly newsletter that is sent to The Readable’s subscribers every Friday. Journalists for The Readable select important news stories from the previous week. Topics encompass privacy, cybercrime, and policy development in cybersecurity. There are no costs involved with a subscription, and some content, such as industrial reports, is only available to those who subscribe to our newsletters.

Hello! This is Dain Oh reporting from South Korea. The 8th annual Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) was held this week, assembling 12,000 security professionals from 80 nations at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Kuksung Nam flew to Singapore, met with some of the most prominent figures in security in person, and reported three news articles from the conference. Moreover, in this briefing you can find the full scripts of the conference’s keynote and opening remarks made by Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs, and Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security.

Apart from the security event, North Korea’s new organizational chart for cyber operations was reported by the cybersecurity firm Mandiant. “The DPRK’s cyber landscape has evolved into a streamlined organization, complete with shared tooling and targeting efforts,” stated the company’s latest report. Enjoy the stories, and we wish you a wonderful weekend!

1. Singapore deputy prime minister stresses cooperation for prosperous digital revolution

Singapore ― SICW 2023 ― Countries need to adopt a multilateral approach to mitigate risks emerging from the latest technologies, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat asserted on Tuesday.

Heng, who, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister, is also Singapore’s coordinating minister for economic policies, spoke at the 8th annual Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, addressing an international audience composed of attendees from 40 different nations. The subject of his opening keynote address was the importance of the digital revolution. READ MORE

2. US aims to secure generative AI with updated guideline

Singapore ― SICW 2023 ― Generative artificial intelligence makers should take security into account as the latest technology could pose a significant threat worldwide, the head of the United States cybersecurity agency said Tuesday.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an updated guideline on software security on October 17, titled “Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software.” Jen Easterly, the director of CISA, explained its key aspects for the first time during the 8th Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) held at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre the same day. READ MORE

3. Scams present significant security challenges to Singaporeans, cybersecurity chief asserts

Singapore ― SICW 2023 ― The primary cybersecurity threat currently facing Singaporeans comes from the malicious activities of scammers, the head of Singapore’s cybersecurity agency emphasized on Thursday.

David Koh, Commissioner of Cybersecurity and Chief Executive of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), noted that the complexity of fraudulent activities has increased to the point where bad actors no longer deceive victims simply by making a phone call. READ MORE

4. Full scripts: Singapore International Cyber Week (October 16, 2023)

Gala Dinner Keynote: UN priorities for digital issues on the international stage. Remarks by Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs READ MORE

Opening Address: Strengthening Trust in the Digital Domain. By Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security READ MORE

5. North Korea reorganized its hacking groups to increase efficiency in cyber operations, Mandiant reveals

North Korean state-sponsored cyber groups, broadly referred to as the “Lazarus Group,” appear to have recently restructured themselves in an effort to accelerate internal cooperation, according to the cybersecurity firm Mandiant.

Enhanced cooperation among the “Lazarus Group” has led to several advantages for the hacking collective, such as improved resource sharing and attributional complexity, warns Google-owned Mandiant in a blog post last week. READ MORE

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Dain Oh is a distinguished journalist based in South Korea, recognized for her exceptional contributions to the field. As the founder and editor-in-chief of The Readable, she has demonstrated her expertise in leading media outlets to success. Prior to establishing The Readable, Dain was a journalist for The Electronic Times, a prestigious IT newspaper in Korea. During her tenure, she extensively covered the cybersecurity industry, delivering groundbreaking reports. Her work included exclusive stories, such as the revelation of incident response information sharing by the National Intelligence Service. These accomplishments led to her receiving the Journalist of the Year Award in 2021 by the Korea Institute of Information Security and Cryptology, a well-deserved accolade bestowed upon her through a unanimous decision. Dain has been invited to speak at several global conferences, including the APEC Women in STEM Principles and Actions, which was funded by the U.S. State Department. Additionally, she is an active member of the Asian American Journalists Association, further exhibiting her commitment to journalism.