In an uninterrupted and ever-evolving global supply chain, cyber-attacks propagate causing disruptions not just in the production line but also affect the distribution networks in industries. Though this phenomenon is global, I sat down in an exclusive tête-à-tête with the Secretary General of Thailand’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), Amorn Chomchoey. In this engaging conversation, he elaborates on the current landscape of cybersecurity in Thailand and around the world, giving an insight into a rather concealed world.
Mr Chomchoey accentuated how cybersecurity has become a topic of interest globally and not just in Thailand. When asked about the continuous rise in cybercrimes, he smilingly said, “Ransomware today generates higher revenue than the ever-thriving illegal drug trade”. The analogy might sound implausible, but the US itself witnesses online scam-expenditure touching a whopping $10.3 billion per annum. That equates to nearly 5% of the annual GDP in Thailand. Cyber romance frauds majorly contribute to such scams, tricking innocent victims to invest in counterfeit crypto-wallets.
The birds-eye view provides a similar scenario wherein cybercriminals cajole their victims by making them fall in love or encouraging them to invest in fake business platforms. Ransomware attacks are just another trending menace that affects multiple companies even if targeted at one. According to Mr Chomchoey, the top three cyber threats in Thailand are ransomware, unsafe websites and illicit links hidden in government websites.
In the context of Thailand’s cybersecurity talent pool, Mr Chomchoey pointed out a skill gap. Only about 0.5% of bureaucrats in Thailand belong to the IT sector, of which an even lesser population deals in cybersecurity. Strengthening national cybersecurity necessitates addressing this shortage.
During our conversation, he highlighted various scams. Some included harvesting personal information and contacts through bogus personal loan applications. Others trick the victims into online jobs and transfer small monetary amounts initially. However, once the victims are asked for larger sums, they simply disappear. The worst cyber heartbreaks, most damaging at least monetarily, are the romance scams.
A common myth is that investments in cryptocurrency or blockchain are inherently safe. However, Amorn bocked this categorically. He stressed creating more cybersecurity awareness among the public. In one of the research conducted in the US, it was revealed that 50% of people could avoid being scammed by simply not interacting with unknown individuals online. Nonetheless, the other half, although affected, only about 10% suffer scams.
The existing goal of the NCSA is to amp up the online safety of individuals. Their current target is to raise the scam-free netizens pool from 90% to an ambitious 99%. Mr Chomchoey said that one should not engage in conversations with strangers online, as chances of monetary recovery post scams are bare minimum to none. This could sometimes even provoke victims to commit suicide.
Addressing the existing skill-gap, the NCSA has launched the “Thailand Cyber Top Talent 2023” program. In its third year now, the program consists of workshops designed and developed for beginners in cybersecurity. The competition saw participation from around 800 teams with a cumulative 2000 participants, the majority being high-schoolers. Some participants were even sent to compete in cybersecurity events in Singapore, Indonesia and Japan. Winning six out of the 10 matches at the ASEAN Cyber SEA Games was the icing on the cake for Thailand.
Rival countries are also not far behind. Vietnam has mandated an annual graduation of 10,000 students in IT. About regional cybersecurity rankings, Mr Chomchoey stated that Singapore tops, followed by Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Thailand is currently working on raising more awareness in the field.
For individuals interested in the domain, NCSA offers e-learning cybersecurity courses and provides certification on their website – [https://www.ncsa.or.th/]. Huawei is proud to sponsor this initiative.
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