FOREWORD
With the exponential growth in the deployment of IoT
devices, the security threat is multiplied many fold.
Singapore may not be the first to solve this issue, but we
are willing to respond quickly and boldly to create a safe
and secure IoT cyberspace.
I am pleased that Singapore has established strong
cybersecurity ties with the Netherlands. We have embarked
on a journey to study and identify the security challenges of
the IoT landscape. The outcome of this report highlights the
need for collective responsibility between industries and
governments. It is important for the ecosystem to stay
vibrant and develop new innovative solutions to better
secure our IoT against malicious and evolving threats.
Cities around the world have ushered in the era of digital
transformation. Singapore is no different, as we work
towards our vision of a Smart Nation. The Smart Nation
journey empowers the Singapore economy through
technology and digital innovation, and aims to bring about
a better quality of life for all. The Government, through
policies and initiatives, also aims to better prepare and
equip Singapore to embrace the ever-changing digital
landscape.
The Smart Nation initiative rests on bridging comm
unications and enabling digital services. This brings about
the phenomenon of manufacturing every type of device to
be “smart”. From traffic cameras to lampposts and even
the most mundane of devices like rice cookers and babymonitors are now part of the “Internet of Things” or IoT.
The rapid proliferation of such independently designed
devices creates an extremely complex IoT ecosystem.
These complexities create vulnerabilities that can easily
be exploited by individuals or groups with malicious intent.
This is a challenge that the world is facing now, and we
ought to study the gaps in the IoT ecosystem and to develop
frameworks, policies and innovative solutions to enhance
the security of such devices.
As we face this uphill challenge in the IoT cyber domain,
industries and governments need to pool together
resources, strengthen defenses and remain aligned
through international standards and governance.
Cyber threats are often global, transboundary and
increasingly sophisticated. The security challenges can
only be addressed when all stakeholders, Governments,
industry, academia and consumers, work together.
This report is the first of many collaborations with the
Netherlands and all other like-minded nations and partners,
as we forge towards a more trusted and resilient digital
society.
David Koh
Commissioner of Cybersecurity
and Chief Executive
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore
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