Singapore’s insecure internet servers swarming with cyber scams: report

Online security is not at par with global peers.

Singapore is a hotbed for cyber scams because of the country’s relatively underdeveloped internet infrastructure.

A report by BMI Research showed that online shoppers are particularly at risk from Singapore’s insecure internet servers.

“Within the context of crime, cyber attacks and scams arguably represent the most formidable threat to Singaporean law enforcement today. Singapore's internet infrastructure remains underdeveloped by global standards, with only 609.3 secure internet servers per million people, relative to as many as 1,994.9 in South Korea,” BMI Research noted.

This has led to a notable rise in the number of cyber crimes over the last several years, with online shoppers being the most vulnerable to attacks.

“This increase in criminality directly impacts businesses reliant on online payments, both for their own activities and their customers,” said the report.

Between 2013 and 2014, the number of e-commerce cheating or cyberspace extortion cases jumped from 510 to 1,659 cases, of which the majority of cases involved shoppers who were tricked into making multiple payments for purported online bargains.

“Despite these drawbacks, the country's law enforcement officials have greatly stepped up their anti-cyber crime efforts, having received a boost from the establishment of a new Interpol office dedicated to combating cyber crime. These efforts partly mitigate the threat posed by cyber attacks, contributing to the country's overall competitiveness in this category,” BMI Research added.