Overview:
- CSIT is escalating its efforts to combat transnational scam syndicates by forming a dedicated hybrid team.
- The hybrid team integrates engineers, analysts, and investigators to tackle scams with multi-disciplinary expertise.
- Significant resources are being invested into research to understand and dismantle evolving scam technologies.
- Scam syndicates are advancing their tactics, prompting CSIT to treat the fight as a technological arms race.
- CSIT is expanding its international partner network to address the cross-border nature of scam operations.
Singapore’s Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) is intensifying its efforts to combat transnational scam syndicates through a multi-pronged strategy that includes hybrid teams, advanced research, and international partnerships.
Main Development:
CSIT has launched a focused initiative to disrupt scam networks that have grown increasingly sophisticated and global. The agency is deploying hybrid teams composed of engineers, analysts, and investigators to tackle scams from multiple angles. These teams are equipped with expertise in malware analysis, reverse engineering, and threat investigations, including officers with law enforcement backgrounds.
“We believe this is the only way we will have a decent shot of being able to combat against the scam syndicate,” Adrian Tang, Group Director of CSIT’s Digital Defence Hub, told BackgroundBriefing.news
Research Arms Race:
The second pillar of CSIT’s strategy is a significant investment in cybersecurity research. Scam syndicates have evolved their tactics and technologies, prompting CSIT to respond with deeper technical analysis and capability development. The agency is working to reverse-engineer scam tools and understand the underlying infrastructure used by threat actors.
“It is an arms race and we are investing a lot of resources in trying to figure out how to take things apart and figuring out what those technology are,” Tang told BackgroundBriefing.news
Global Collaboration:
Recognizing the transnational nature of scam operations, CSIT is also expanding its partner network. The agency is collaborating with international counterparts to share intelligence and coordinate actions beyond Singapore’s borders. This global approach is essential to counter scam syndicates that operate across jurisdictions and digital platforms.
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About the speaker:
Adrian Tang
Group Director of the Digital Defence Hub
Singapore’s Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT)
Adrian Tang, Group Director of the Digital Defence Hub at CSIT, is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with nearly two decades of experience in enterprise security, malware analysis, red-teaming, and vulnerability research. Based in Singapore, he spearheads teams focused on cyber threat intelligence and capability development to counter sophisticated digital threats.
Holding a PhD in Computer Science from Columbia University, Adrian is an inventor of multiple U.S. patents in software security and has published extensively in top-tier venues. He has presented at global conferences such as Black Hat and IEEE S&P, and taught reverse engineering and malware analysis at NUS, fostering collaboration across government, academia, and industry.
5W1H summary
| Category | Summary |
|---|---|
| Who | 1. CSIT 2. Hybrid teams 3. International partners |
| What | 1. Disrupt transnational scam syndicate 2. Building hybrid capability teams 3. Investing research, partner networks |
| When | 1. Thinking about this long time 2. Currently at critical stage 3. Scam problem is big now |
| Where | 1. Beyond Singapore’s borders 2. International partners’ locations 3. Take the fight to them |
| Why | 1. Scam problem is really big 2. Scammers evolving tactics, tech 3. Combat transnational syndicates |
| How | 1. Build hybrid capability team 2. Invest in research resources 3. Develop partner network |
FAQs:
What is CSIT’s primary objective in addressing the scam problem?
CSIT’s primary objective is to join the national effort to disrupt transnational scam syndicates, recognising that the scam problem has grown significantly.
What are the three main strategies CSIT is employing to combat these scam syndicates?
CSIT is employing three main strategies: building focused teams with hybrid capabilities, investing heavily in research, and developing a strong network of international partners.
Can you elaborate on the “focus team” strategy?
The “focus team” strategy involves building teams with diverse expertise, including analysts, engineers, and investigators. This multidisciplinary approach is considered essential for effectively combating scam syndicates.
Why is investing in research important in this fight?
Research is crucial because scam syndicates are constantly evolving their tactics and techniques, increasingly leveraging technology. CSIT views this as an “arms race” and is investing resources to understand and dismantle their technological capabilities.
What does “hybrid capabilities” mean in the context of CSIT’s teams?
“Hybrid capabilities” refers to teams composed of individuals with varied skills, such as engineers proficient in tech research, malware analysis, and reverse engineering; experts in state-of-the-art analysis techniques and threat investigation; and officers with backgrounds in law enforcement. This blend of technical and investigative expertise is seen as the most effective way to tackle scam operations.
Why is a partner network essential for CSIT’s efforts?
A partner network is essential because scam syndicates operate transnationally, extending beyond Singapore’s borders. Collaborating with international partners in various capacities allows CSIT to combat these syndicates even outside of Singapore.
How have scam syndicates evolved their methods?
Scam syndicates have evolved their methods by continuously refining their tactics and techniques over the past few years. They are also increasingly sophisticated in their use of technology to evade detection and countermeasures.
What is the ultimate goal of CSIT’s combined strategies?
The ultimate goal of CSIT’s combined strategies is to effectively combat and disrupt the operations of transnational scam syndicates by leveraging diverse expertise, advanced research, and international collaboration.
Background Briefing Transcript
CSIT has been thinking about this quite a long time. We are at a stage where we think that it is at a point where the scam problem is big and CSIT is joining the national fight to disrupt a transnational scam syndicate. There are three ways we are doing it right now. Number one is the focus team. Number two is investing in research and number three is trying to build up and develop the partner network.
Let me explain. For the first one, we are building a team of hybrid capabilities and a team of people with many different expertise which includes analysts, engineers and even investigators. We believe that this is the only way we will have a decent shot of being able to combat against the scam syndicate. The second one on research, we believe that the scam syndicates have been evolving their tactics and techniques over the past few years. They have been trying to evade the action and in doing so they are also upping their game in the technology side of the house. It is an arms race and we are investing a lot of resources in trying to figure out how to take things apart and figuring out what those technology are.
Hang on Mark, I did say three points. Please let me finish the third point. In the partner network, because we are dealing with scam syndicates who are transnational, it goes beyond the borders that we have. It is important for us to tap on the international partners that we have in various capacities to combat and take the fight to them even if it means outside of Singapore.
You mentioned hybrid teams, is that correct? What do you mean by that?
We are building teams that comprise engineers who are good in tech research, the ability for them to take things apart, do malware analysis, and reverse engineers. We have people who are familiar with the state-of-the-art analysis techniques and being good at being threat investigators. We have some officers who used to be from the law enforcement agencies. With the background that they have in those past experiences, they are able together with the mix of the tech research, the analysts, as well as the investigative expertise. We realised that that is the best way that we have to be able to tackle those scams in operations.