TECHLAW.FEST 2021 SPOTLIGHTS
LEGAL RESPONSE TO CYBERSECURITY THREATS
Discussion comes as rapid adoption of technology raises risk of cyberattacks.

SINGAPORE, 03 AUGUST 2021 – The past five years have seen the rapid adoption of technology across all sectors. While this has been a boon for productivity, it has also brought to light the risk of cybersecurity threats like ransomware, which paralyse entire systems and operations. Reports suggest that victims of these attacks paid up to US$18 billion in ransom in 2020 alone [1].

The legal and regulatory responses to these cybersecurity threats will be among the topics that will be discussed at TechLaw.Fest 2021, a conference organised by the Singapore Academy of Law (“SAL”), Singapore’s Ministry of Law and MP International. To be held over three days from 22 to 24 September 2021, the event will attract global legal, tech and regulatory communities, who will together discuss emerging issues around the law of technology. Other topics to be discussed include intellectual property matters surrounding alternative assets like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the effect of the shift away from third-party cookies.

2021 marks the second time the event will be predominantly online, offering increased accessibility to global participants. This has encouraged record attendance at TechLaw.Fest, which saw its biggest show of support last year, with over 6,000 registered attendees from more than 100 countries. The entire experience, which includes limited in-person networking sessions in Singapore [2], will once again be free.

Thousands of top legal, tech and government leaders will be engaging in conversations on trends, challenges and opportunities across four key areas: legal operations, technology of law, law of technology and access to justice. Speakers set to ignite the TechLaw.Fest 2021 stage include Mr Edwin Tong SC, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, who will speak at the opening panel of TechLaw.Fest 2021, discussing how governments can lead legal industry transformation. Other speakers include Mr Edward Hartman, Partner at Simon-Kucher and Partners; Mr John Knox, Partner and Global and APAC Legal Managed Services Leader at Ernst & Young Solutions LLP; and Ms Loretta Yuen, General Counsel and Head of Group Legal and Regulatory Compliance at OCBC Bank. The full speaker line-up will be announced in the coming weeks at www.techlawfest.com.

Said Mr Rama Tiwari, Chief Executive of SAL, “The acceleration of technology adoption during the pandemic carries with it different risks. TechLaw.Fest continues to be the forum to keep up with new technology and the legal risks they pose. It is also a forum to allow lawyers to access legal technology developments to improve their existing processes and operations.  We look forward to hearing from thought leaders and changemakers at the fourth edition of TechLaw.Fest.”

For more information on TechLaw.Fest and to register, visit www.techlawfest.com.

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