“Singapore Issues New Guidelines to Protect Businesses from AI Security Risks”

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The integration of artificial intelligence and chatbot technologies into business operations has become increasingly prevalent, offering numerous advantages such as operational efficiency and enhanced customer service. However, as with any technology, these innovations are not without risk, highlighting the importance of cyber security measures and the need for robust cyber insurance.

Following warnings by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean at the recent Global Technology Governance Retreat in San Francisco, companies are urged to be vigilant of the potential threats posed by AI technologies, specifically rogue chatbots. These AI systems, if compromised, can serve as conduits for malicious cyber activities, risking both data security and business integrity.

Rogue chatbots can manipulate, steal, or corrupt data. For example, they could provide incorrect information to users, mislead decision-making processes, or even enable unauthorized access to secured data systems. This potential vulnerability underlines the necessity for companies to constantly test and monitor their AI implementations, ensuring these systems do not deviate from intended programming ethics and safety guidelines.

In cases where cybersecurity incidents occur, including data breaches or business interruptions caused by hacked AI systems, cyber insurance plays a crucial role in mitigating the financial risks and enhancing operational recovery. Cyber insurance helps cover liability expenses from lawsuits related to data breaches, costs for notifying customers about a breach, and forensic services to investigate and repair systems. Moreover, it can support businesses in managing ransom negotiations and payments in scenarios of malware attacks facilitated by compromised AI systems like chatbots.

Moreover, aside from financial compensation, many cyber insurance providers offer value-added services, such as access to cybersecurity experts who can provide urgent consultations and support during and after a security incident. Regular training sessions, risk assessment tools, and support in compliance and preventive strategies are also available, all of which are vital in the modern digital landscape’s preventative security measures.

In conclusion, while artificial intelligence and chatbot technologies are essential for businesses seeking efficiency and competitive advantage, it is crucial to acknowledge and prepare for the associated cyber risks. Rigorous testing and updates of AI systems, coupled with comprehensive cyber insurance coverage, provide a dual-layered security approach that can significantly minimize potential damages and ensure business resilience in the face of evolving cyber threats. Businesses are advised to consider these strategies as an integral part of their risk management and operational procedures.

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WASHINGTON – Members of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s family and officials from the Biden administration were among those targeted by China-linked hackers who were able to break into telecommunications company systems, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Times said State Department officials, Trump family members including Eric Trump and Jared Kushner, and prominent Democrats including Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer were among those targeted by the spies.

Concerns about the hacking group have grown since media reports disclosed its activities last month.

On Oct. 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that the group, nicknamed “Salt Typhoon”, had accessed the networks of broadband providers and obtained information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized wiretapping.

The State Department, as well as aides for Trump family members, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ questions. The White House, the National Security Agency, and the cybersecurity watchdog agency CISA did not immediately return messages. A Schumer aide did not immediately reply to an email. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an email, although Beijing routinely denies being behind cyberespionage campaigns. REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – Chinese hackers who tapped into Verizon’s system targeted phones used by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance, the New York Times reported on Oct 25, citing people familiar with the matter.

The newspaper said investigators were working to determine what communications, if any, were taken.

The Trump campaign was made aware this week that Trump and Mr Vance were among a number of people inside and outside of government whose phone numbers were targeted through the infiltration of Verizon phone systems, it added.

The campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Trump campaign was hacked earlier this year. The US Justice Department charged three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps with the hack and trying to disrupt the Nov 5 election. REUTERS
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LONDON – Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) is facing 101 phone-hacking lawsuits from public figures including actors Kate Winslet, Sean Bean and Gillian Anderson and the estate of late Australian cricketer Shane Warne, London’s High Court heard on Nov 20.

The publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People tabloids – which is owned by Reach – has been entangled in litigation for more than a decade over alleged phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering.

MGN had accepted that some unlawful information gathering took place at its newspapers in the early 2000s, before Prince Harry and three others went to trial in 2023.

Harry, the younger son of King Charles, was awarded £140,600 (around S$238,000) after London’s High Court ruled the prince had been targeted by MGN journalists – the biggest win yet in his “mission” to purge the British press.

He accepted substantial damages from MGN to settle the remainder of his lawsuit, but vowed his mission would continue and a trial of his separate case against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper arm is due to begin in January.

When Harry largely won his case in December 2023, Reach also claimed victory as two other claimants’ cases were rejected as having been brought too late.

The company said the ruling meant cases brought after October 2020 were “likely to be dismissed other than where exceptional circumstances apply”.

MGN is, however, currently facing a total of 101 lawsuits brought by a number of people, including Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, the claimants’ lawyers said at a hearing on Nov 20.

The publisher asked for a trial to be heard in late 2025 to decide whether a sample of the 101 cases were brought too late, arguing it would likely prompt a settlement of the cases.

Judge Timothy Fancourt ruled that such a trial would accelerate other cases being resolved and said it was likely to take place in November 2025. REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – A U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee overseeing technology issues will hold a hearing Tuesday on Chinese hacking incidents, including a recent incident involving American telecom companies.

The hearing to be chaired by Senator Richard Blumenthal will review the threats “Chinese hacking and influence pose to our democracy, national security, and economy,” his office said, adding the senator plans “to raise concerns about Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest with China as Mr. Musk becomes increasingly involved in government affairs.”

Musk, the head of electric car company Tesla, social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX, emerged during the election campaign as a major supporter of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Trump appointed him as co-head of a newly created Department of Government Efficiency to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”

Musk, who was in China in April and reportedly proposed testing Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance package in China by deploying it in robotaxis, did not immediately to requests for comment.

The hearing will include CrowdStrike Senior Vice President Adam Meyers and Telecommunications Industry Association CEO David Stehlin, Strategy Risks CEO Isaac Stone Fish and Sam Bresnick, research fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University,

Last week, U.S. authorities said China-linked hackers have intercepted surveillance data intended for American law enforcement agencies after breaking in to an unspecified number of telecom companies, U.S. authorities said on Wednesday.

The hackers compromised the networks of “multiple telecommunications companies” and stole U.S. customer call records and communications from “a limited number of individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity,” according to a joint statement released by the FBI and the U.S. cyber watchdog agency CISA.

The announcement confirmed the broad outlines of previous media reports that Chinese hackers were believed to have opened a back door into the interception systems used by law enforcement to surveil Americans’ telecommunications.

It follows reports Chinese hackers targeted telephones belonging to then-presidential and vice presidential candidates Donald Trump and JD Vance, along with other senior political figures, raised widespread concern over the security of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.

Beijing has repeatedly denied claims by the U.S. government and others that it has used hackers to break into foreign computer systems.

Last month, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers asked AT&T, Verizon Communications and Lumen Technologies to answer questions about the reporting hacking of the networks of U.S. broadband providers. REUTERS

“Ofcom to Detail Action Required from Social Media Companies Over Illegal Content – December Deadline Looming for Compliance”

“Ofcom to Detail Action Required from Social Media Companies Over Illegal Content – December Deadline Looming for Compliance”

Byadmin

LONDON – Britain’s media regulator Ofcom said on Oct 17 that it would detail what action it expected social media companies to take over illegal content on their platforms in December, saying it expected swift action or they would face consequences.

Ofcom, which is responsible for implementing the government’s Online Safety Bill, said the platforms would have three months to complete their own illegal harms risk assessments after the publication of its demands.

“The time for talk is over,” Ofcom’s Chief Executive Melanie Dawes said on Oct 17. “From December, tech firms will be legally required to start taking action, meaning 2025 will be a pivotal year in creating a safer life online.”

She said the regulator had already seen positive changes, but expectations were going to be high.

“We’ll be coming down hard on those who fall short,” she said.

Ofcom said better protections had already been introduced by Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, and Snapchat which have brought in changes to help prevent children being contacted by strangers.

Britain’s new online safety regime, which became law last year, requires social media companies to tackle the causes of harm, particularly for children, by making their services safer.

If companies do not comply with the new law, they could face significant fines and, in the most serious cases, their services could be blocked in Britain. REUTERS

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SEOUL – South Korea has fined Facebook-parent Meta more than 21.6 billion won (S$20.6 million) for illegally collecting sensitive user information from nearly a million people without consent and sharing it with advertisers, the country’s data watchdog said Nov 5.

The firm, which also owns Instagram, ran afoul of laws prohibiting the use of information on political opinions, religious beliefs and people’s sex life unless the individual provides explicit consent, Seoul’s Personal Information Protection Commission added.

It added that the tech giant collected sensitive information from around 980,000 domestic users in South Korea through their Facebook profiles.

This included details about their religious beliefs and whether they are in a same-sex relationship.

The watchdog said it had confirmed that such information was provided to advertisers by Meta, with around 4,000 advertisers using it.

Meta “analysed user behaviour data, including pages liked and ads clicked on Facebook”, to create and implement targeted advertising related to “sensitive themes” such as transgender issues, homosexuality and North Korean defectors, officials said.

The commission said on Nov 5 it had decided to fine Meta 21.6 billion won.

It added that it “also ordered the company to establish legal grounds for processing sensitive information, implement safety measures, and respond diligently to users’ requests for access to their personal data”.

The decision is “significant in that they ensure that foreign operators providing global services must comply with the obligations set forth in (South Korea’s) Protection Act regarding the processing of sensitive information”. AFP

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