Session 4 - International Cooperation to Impose Consequences on Malicious Cyber Activities Many states are concerting joint efforts to impose costs for irresponsible behaviors in cyberspace by sharing information, jointly disclosing attribution, or issuing joint statements with allies, partners, or like-minded states. Being aware of the importance of the roles played by private sectors for national cybersecurity, states are seeking ways to induce cooperation from private sectors as well. Session 4 covers cooperation efforts at the international level for imposing consequences on irresponsible state behavior in cyberspace. Speakers are expected to address the following points. H. Introduce cases where costs for irresponsible state behavior in cyberspace are effectively imposed with joint efforts among states. I. Introduce cases where cooperation between private and public sectors has contributed to impose costs for irresponsible state behavior in cyberspace. J. Underscore specific areas where efforts for international cooperation need to be concerted to effectively impose consequences for irresponsible state behavior in cyberspace. [Panel] Moderator: Caitriona Heinl (Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy) Speaker: James Lewis (Center for Strategic and International Studies) Speaker: Benjamin Ang (Nanyang Technological University) Speaker: Karsten Geier (Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue) [12:00-13:30, KST (GMT+9)] Luncheon

1. International
Cooperation to
Impose
Consequences
on Malicious
Cyber Activities,
and Challenges
for Small Powers
Benjamin Ang
Head, Centre of Excellence for
National Security, Future
Issues in Technology, and
Digital Impact Research, RSIS

2. Cases where costs for
irresponsible state
behavior in cyberspace
were not imposed

3. Vietnam airport screens hacked
• Cyberattack by
1937CN? 1
• 1937CN denied
responsibility
• Vietnam Government
tells cyber community
to show restraint after
attack 2

4. Singapore’s
healthcare
system hacked Personal data of 1.5 million patients,
including Prime Minister Lee 3
“Deliberate, targeted and well-
planned cyber attack … not the work
of casual hackers or criminal gangs" 4
“We are not able to reveal more
because of operational security
reasons”5

5. Why didn’t they impose
consequences?
• Difficulty of attribution?
• Lack of capacity to impose consequences?
• Diplomatic
• Informational
• Military
• Economic
• Financial
• Intelligence
• Legal
• Power imbalance or trade dependence?

6. Cases where cooperation
between private and public
sectors did not impose costs

7. Cyberattacks hit SE-Asian
states
Kaspersky
• mass advanced threat
campaign targets
users in Southeast
Asia
• approximately 100
victims in Myanmar
and 1,400 in the
Philippines, some of
which were
government entities 6
IBM
• Asia-Pacific region
was most attacked
region in 2022 for the
second consecutive
year,
• Accounting for 31% of
all incidents
worldwide7

8. Symantec calls SingHealth
hacker ‘Whitefly’
• Whitefly launched
targeted attacks
against multiple
organizations 8
• CSA says “As this is an
independent
investigation report by
a commercial entity,
we have no comment
on its contents.”9

9. Can international
cooperation help small
powers impose
consequences?

10. Rare case: Singapore imposed
sanctions on Russia for Ukraine
• Export controls on items that can be used
directly as weapons in Ukraine
• Blocking certain Russian bank and financial
transactions connected to Russia 10
• Singapore has “rarely acted” to impose
sanctions on other countries, in the absence of
binding United Nations Security Council
decisions or directions
• MFA: invasion of Ukraine “contravenes” the
United Nations Charter and is a “clear and gross
violation of international law”11

11. How can international
cooperation help?
• Difficulty of attribution?
• Lack of capacity to impose consequences?
• Diplomatic
• Informational
• Military
• Economic
• Financial
• Intelligence
• Legal
• Power imbalance or trade dependence?

12. Small powers need help