Chapter 3 Keeping Our Cyberspace Safe and Trustworthy Together RAISING CYBER AWARENESS AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES CSA conducted a Public Awareness Survey in August 2016 with 2,000 respondents on their cybersecurity awareness and cyber hygiene. While seven in 10 respondents agreed that everyone has a role to play in cybersecurity, many of them were also found to be not taking safety measures when going online. For example, one in three respondents do not manage their passwords carefully. These findings, among others, reveal that there is room for improvement when it comes to individual cyber hygiene practices. To educate and reach out to the public on cybersecurity, CSA manages the GoSafeOnline and SingCERT websites and social media platforms that provide cybersecurity news and resources to individuals and businesses. Members of the Cyber Security Awareness Alliance, which CSA co-chairs, have also been giving media interviews, talks to schools, the public, and businesses to raise cybersecurity awareness. Advisories issued by SingCERT in 2016 covered topics like ransomware, DDoS attacks, and compromised remote servers, 38 which were timely given the increasing number of incidents stemming from ransomware infections and exploitations of weak system configurations. To bring the message to an even wider audience, two episodes of CrimeWatch, a long-running television programme, were produced on cyber-related topics. These were aired on free-to-air television channels in Singapore. CSA worked with the SPF and National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to produce these episodes covering cybercrimes involving banking malware, ransomware, and unauthorised access to data in computer networks and systems. Secretariat (NSCS) on the National Security Conference in November 2016 to raise cybersecurity awareness among businesses. The conference attracted more than 500 attendees from SMEs. To help SMEs build their digital capabilities to seize opportunities for growth in the digital economy, CSA is working with IMDA on the cybersecurity aspects of the SMEs Go Digital programme. For example, the new SME Digital Tech Hub (slated to be opened in the third quarter of 2017) will provide specialist technology advice to assist SMEs on their cybersecurity needs. Together with the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), CSA produced a series of activity books to educate primary school students on cyber safety. Two issues were produced in 2016 and distributed to all Primary 5 students in Singapore with copies made available online. To expand the outreach to SMEs, CSA worked with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the National Security Coordination Cyber Safety Activity Book DEVELOPING SINGAPORE’S CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS Close to 40 students and young professional participated in the ‘The Future For You: Be a Cyber Security Champion’ engagement session organised by CSA on 23 Feb 2016 While Singapore works towards increasing cybersavviness among her people, it requires competent cybersecurity professionals, capable of protecting both the infrastructure and the individuals who use the infrastructure. Singapore’s efforts to groom its pool of cybersecurity professionals include: Enhancing and augmenting the professional pipeline The Cyber Security Associates and Technologists (CSAT) programme, a joint initiative by CSA and IMDA, aims to boost the pipeline of cybersecurity professionals. CSAT trains and upskills new and existing ICT and Engineering professionals for cybersecurity roles. Deepening the technical depth of professionals. CSA has been engaging the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) to shape cybersecurity into their curriculum. CSA will promote industry-IHL collaborations for more structured internships and leading edge cybersecurity training facilities. Young participants at the WhiteHacks@SG cybersecurity workshop and competition held from 12-13 Mar 2016. The event was organised by SMU Whitehat Society in partnership with ThinkSecure and CSA. A way to build a common identity and increase the recognition of the cybersecurity profession is to foster strong Communities of Practice (COPs). Professional bodies are instrumental to driving the development of COPs to tackle cyber threats and career pathways for professionals. Such bodies are also integral to enhancing talent retention in the profession. CSA has engaged four key professional bodies – Association of Information Security Professionals; Singapore Computer Society; International Information System Security Certification Consortium also known as (ISC)2; and Information System Audit and Control Association (ISACA) – to build stronger communities. CSA will also work with IMDA and Workforce Singapore (WSG) on delivering better training and career opportunities for cybersecurity professionals. Complementing these efforts is the development of Singapore’s cybersecurity industry to spur the growth of high value jobs in Singapore that will in turn sustain efforts at developing the nation’s manpower. The availability of sophisticated and high value jobs, provided by a vibrant cybersecurity industry, provides for the professional growth and career progression of professionals, all of which are critical to countering cyber threats effectively. 39