Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has announced amendments to the Republic’s cybersecurity laws, i.e. the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act (CMCA), after a series of high-profile cyberattacks in recent years.

The Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Amendment Bill (the Bill), which will be discussed when Parliament sits on 3 April 2017, introduces four key changes to the CMCA:

  1. Making it an offence to obtain, retain or supply personal information obtained through cybercrime
  2. Making it an offence to obtain items which can be used to commit cybercrimes
  3. Targeting cybercrimes committed overseas, against overseas computers, which create a significant risk of serious harm in Singapore
  4. Allowing amalgamation of cybercrime charges

In this briefing, we outline the key aspects of the amendments to the cybersecurity laws and discuss the implications for businesses in Singapore.