SINGAPORE: SPH Media said on Tuesday (Nov 10) that it was hit by cyberattacks that affected 9% of its database.
The exposed information was predominantly e-mail addresses, as well as some names, mailing addresses and phone numbers. No payment card details, as well as financial or banking information, were compromised.
In a statement on Nov 10, the media company said it had identified cyberattacks on five of its systems, which it believed were “a concerted effort that was carried out by the same threat actor”.
The first incident was detected on Nov 4, and the most recent one on Nov 8.
SPH Media said it suspects the intrusions could be AI-enabled attacks, based on preliminary investigations.
The breaches arose from a combination of factors, including software bugs and system configuration, said its spokesman.
Upon discovering the incidents, SPH Media said, it immediately took steps to secure the affected systems and engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate and contain the breaches.
The organisation also reported the incidents to the Personal Data Protection Commission, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, and filed a police report.
“SPH Media takes the security and confidentiality of customers’ information very seriously, and has been working very closely with the relevant authorities and third-party specialists,” said the spokesman.
“We advise customers to remain vigilant and exercise caution for suspicious and unsolicited e-mails, messages and calls, particularly those requesting personal information, passwords or payments, and to avoid clicking on suspicious links or attachments.”
The attacks affected two groups of systems managed in-house by SPH Media: One that contained some personal data, and another that did not store any personal data, said the spokesman.
The media group’s news sites and subscription services were unaffected, he added.
SPH Media said it has applied bug fixes to its information technology systems, and updated the system configurations.
It has also updated its perimeter defences to block further probing and exploitation attempts by the attackers, and heightened its monitoring posture.
Some e-mail addresses belonging to employees and corporate customers were compromised, it said, adding that those affected have been informed to exercise caution and be vigilant against suspicious and unsolicited e-mails, messages and calls, particularly if they request personal information, passwords or payments.
SPH Media said it will continue to keep a close watch on its systems, as cyberattacks can happen any time and at any frequency.
The company is also enhancing its cyberdefences to better detect AI-aided attacks. These include safeguards to identify vulnerabilities earlier and remediate them swiftly, said the spokesman.
“We remain committed to safeguarding our systems and the information entrusted to us,” he added. - The Straits Times/ANN
