This thriller by CSA SG is meant to highlight the dangers of cyber threats

In its fifth edition of the national cybersecurity campaign, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has launched a film titled “The Unseen Enemy” to lift the veil on cyber threats and scams.

The fully integrated campaign, which will run until March 2025, aims to spotlight the pervasive and often unseen nature of cyber threats while encouraging audiences to adopt constant vigilance against them.

The film, which was conceptualised and executed in partnership with Ogilvy Singapore, uses the genre of a suspense thriller to highlight the omnipresent nature of cyber threats. As the protagonist unwittingly clicks on a malicious link, unseen forces upend his home as private documents, money, valuables, and a family photograph are snatched from him.

Don’t miss: Report: Cybercriminal activity around business email compromise surges by 38% in last 3 years

The lack of dialogue further sought to jolt audiences to see the dire consequences of a single misstep, emphasising how cybercriminals operate invisibly to blindside their victims.

Apart from the film, key visuals depicting how unseen cyber threats are present in everyday life were also activated across touchpoints such as public transport screen doors, wallscapes, bus stop shelters, social and digital platforms, as well as a concept train.

Each visual sought to impart the CSA’s four cyber tips in audiences, including enabling two-factor authentification (2FA) and using strong passphrases. Other collaterals reminded people to beware of phishing scams, update software promptly, as well as to add ScamShield and Anti-Virus (AV) apps to devices.

As part of the campaign, CSA also held a two-day roadshow at Suntec City Convention Centre in September to invite audiences to “Home In On Cybersecurity”. The roadshow invited visitors to enter a compromised home to adopt the four cyber tips through practical learning.

At the roadshow, visitors also learnt how to practice cyber hygiene and adopt tips through informational booths and games, including an augmented reality (AR) simulation activity.

“Our approach to the campaign was to contextualise the pervasiveness of cyber threats and scams for our audiences, nudging them to pay closer attention to how their actions can leave them vulnerable to unseen cybercriminals,” said Connie Lee, deputy director, communications and engagement office, CSA.

“We also want to reach out to users through our roadshows and engagement efforts to encourage everyone to develop good cyber hygiene habits in our daily lives to protect what is valuable to us,” she added.

Shirley Tay, chief client officer at Ogilvy Singapore, added that the project aimed to position cyber tips as digital self-defence measures that audiences could adopt to protect themselves.

“Creatively we wanted to do so in a manner that would leave a lasting impression in the minds of audiences, exposing how vulnerable we all are to cybercriminals,” she said.

Adding to that, Troy Lim, group creative director at Ogilvy Singapore, said that by highlighting the feeling of unease and paranoia of an unseen enemy, the campaign aimed to motivate people to take the necessary precautions.

Cybersecurity has been a topic of increasing concern lately. In May 2023, a report by Microsoft found that the number of cybercrime-as-a-service targeting business emails cases had surged by 38% between 2019 and 2022 globally.

The study highlighted a surge in cybercriminal activity around business email compromise (BEC), with approximately 35 million attempts made between April 2022 and April 2023. The top targets for these attacks included executives, senior leaders, finance managers, and human resources staff with access to sensitive information.

In a more recent example, Ascentis, the developer for Starbucks Singapore, was charged SG$10,000 for its failure to protect the personal data of more than 300,000 members for the chain’s rewards programme on 10 November.

The personal data of these individuals, consisting of names, email addresses, dates of birth, membership details relating to the rewards program, physical addresses and telephone numbers were exfiltrated in the incident.

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