SINGAPORE: Even as new technologies help to address gaps in a country’s security and defence capabilities, they can create new vulnerabilities too, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
With that in mind, Mr Teo called for the international community to come up with codes of practice and norms for new technologies that about to be launched and do not yet have international standards.
AdvertisementHe was speaking at the inaugural Singapore Defence Technology Summit here on Thursday (Jun 28).
Illustrating the opportunities technology is bringing to the defence sector, the minister pointed to how commercial technologies and products like drones and robots are increasingly being adapted and used for defence and security applications like bomb disposal, reconnaissance and radiation detection.
New sensing and data analysis tools are also enabling security agencies to seek out and detect potential threats before they develop into actual attacks, he added.
“As unmanned and autonomous technologies mature, we can also expect more robots working together with us as a team,” Mr Teo said, citing the example of the Republic of Singapore Navy deploying unmanned surface vessels for protection missions in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Aden.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, even as these new technologies become more widely deployed, new vulnerabilities are appearing, the minister said.
Drones, for example, are becoming more affordable and capable.
They are being used by criminals for smuggling and corporate espionage, while terrorists use them for surveillance and aerial delivery of improvised explosive devices.
As devices become more connected, cities and businesses can become better managed. Yet, the same interconnectedness means vulnerabilities increase exponentially, Mr Teo said.
“If we are concerned about air traffic control systems being hacked disrupting flights, what greater concerns and dangers there will be if UAVs and autonomous flying vehicles are added to the mix in the same airspace."
The NotPetya cyberattack last year also demonstrated a new facet of unconventional warfare, he added.
The online attack crippled shipping giant Maersk’s IT systems and, given its ships dock somewhere in the world every 15 minutes with 10,000 to 20,000 containers, “there are significant knock-on effects on international supply chains across many industries”, Mr Teo said.
Maersk had to rely on manual operations and use PSA's automated systems to help manage its vessels in the region and keep to their schedules as closely as possible, the minister said.
With economies becoming more integrated and connected digitally, Mr Teo encouraged governments, companies and academia to form partnerships to better address issues that cut across sectors and national boundaries.
“We look forward to working with our international partners to better understand how to deal with attacks not just on national systems, but global systems (like) the global financial system or cross-border trading or transport systems,” the minister said.
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