CHAPTER 3 SINGAPORE’S CYBERSECURITY STRATEGY – DEVELOPMENTS IN 2018 Smart Nation Scholars with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Ministerin-Charge of the Smart Nation initiative), Mr Teo Chin Hock (Deputy Chief Executive (Development), CSA), Mr Kok Ping Soon (Chief Executive, GovTech) and Mr Tan Kiat How (Chief Executive, IMDA) at the inaugural Smart Nation Scholarship Award Ceremony in August 2018. Source: Smart Nation and Digital Government Group. Cybersecurity is essential to safeguard the convenience and productivity we enjoy with digital connectivity and smart devices. I look forward to serving as a cyber defender to protect our cyberspace. – Mr Sng Yu Feng Chester, recipient of Smart Nation Scholarship, expressing his commitment to Singapore’s cybersecurity FEATURED TOPIC BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS TALENT POOL To promote the growth and development of cybersecurity students and professionals, CSA worked closely with industry, academia and associations to build a pipeline of cybersecurity talent for Singapore through the following initiatives in 2018: • Launching the annual Youth Cyber Exploration Programme (YCEP) with Singapore Polytechnic, to inculcate student interest in cybersecurity. • Co-organising the Cybersecurity Career Mentoring Programme (CCMP) with the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) to provide career guidance in the field of cybersecurity. • Launching the Student Volunteer & Recognition Programme (SVRP) with the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP). CSA also supported AiSP in updating and maintaining a cybersecurity Body of Knowledge (BOK), to provide knowledge-based perspectives for industry, Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics and universities. • Establishing the annual Cybersecurity Awards with AiSP and the support of seven17 other professional and industry associations, to recognise contributions to the cybersecurity ecosystem. • Launching the Cyber Security Competency Framework (CSCF)18 in CSA and introducing it to the Whole-of-Government (WoG) for cybersecurity professionals. CSCF lays out structured development pathways to drive capability development through targeted training, professional certification and career progression. • Launching the Smart Nation Scholarship (SNS) with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) and IMDA to develop and nurture tech leaders and talents in the Public Service. Four scholarships for cybersecurity were awarded in 2018. MINDEF/SAF’S CYBERSECURITY EFFORTS A key component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)/Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) cybersecurity workforce development is the Cyber NSF (Full-time National Service) Scheme. MINDEF/SAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) in February 2018 to offer an academic work-learn programme for Cyber Specialists. Upon graduation, they will be deployed to operational roles in MINDEF/SAF and CSA. MINDEF/SAF has also formed and operationalised Defence Cyber Incident Response Teams (DCIRTs). These DCIRTs are made up of personnel from MINDEF, SAF, Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), and DSO National Laboratories. Their responsibilities include responding to cyber incidents in the Defence Sector, and supporting and augmenting CSA’s cyber incident response efforts at the national-level. 17 The seven other associations are: (i) Cloud Security Alliance; (ii) ISACA Singapore Chapter; (iii) (ISC)2 Singapore Chapter; (iv) IT Service Management Forum Singapore Chapter; (v) The Law Society of Singapore; (vi) Singapore Computer Society; and (vii) SGTech. 18 Adapted from the Infocomm and Technology Security Track of the National Skills Framework. 42 43