Singapore’s message to cyber crooks: Do not use us as a launchpad

The jailing of three Chinese hackers possessing state-linked malware shows Singapore is very much alive to how bad actors seek to exploit its openness.

- Bhavan Jaipragas

In some quarters, there is a persistent narrative that Singapore’s authorities are oblivious to the risks that come with the Republic’s global hub status — in finance, technology and other fields.

Taken to the extreme, this view presupposes that the law enforcement ecosystem and even the national media are sedate and ineffectual — thumb-twiddling and looking away as foreign bad actors exploit Singapore’s openness and proliferate without restraint.

Even a cursory look at reality shows how false that depiction is. The conviction and jailing this week of three Chinese nationals for their roles in a global cybercrime ring, following a major 2024 operation that led to their arrests and those of others, is one data point that should give confidence that the system is largely working as designed in keeping the proverbial flies away.

Other investigations and convictions — including the now well-known billion-dollar money laundering case, and the ongoing probe into Cambodian conglomerate Prince Group and its founder Chen Zhi - already show that Singapore is not a passive bystander to such threats.

The latest cybercrime case lays bare the risks that come with hub status. It also shows the scale of work by investigators, prosecutors and, finally, the courts to safeguard Singapore’s reputation as a secure digital hub.