Connexionsg
Cyber Preparedness in Singapore
27 January 2023
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#TIL 99% of all resident households in Singapore have access to the internet, according to the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s latest household survey, done in 2021. This connectivity renders us vulnerable to threats from the digital domain, as we have increasingly seen over the years.
One of Singapore’s worst cyber-attacks happened in 2018 when hackers infiltrated the databases of SingHealth, Singapore’s largest healthcare group, and stole the data of 1.5 million patients. More recently in Sep and Oct 2022, both Starbucks Singapore and Carousell were hit by data breaches respectively, and personal data of their customers were compromised.
Beyond data theft, malicious cyberattacks can debilitate entire systems, disrupt essential services and severely affect our lives. The internet can also be abused to spread fake news and sow distrust in our communities.
As part of a broad range of responses, Singapore set up the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore - CSA, formed Digital Defence as the 6th pillar of #TotalDefence, and established the new The Digital and Intelligence Service in MINDEF to combat increasingly complex threats in the digital domain. Official sites such Factually, to debunk fake news, and campaigns like the National Library Board, Singapore’s S.U.R.E programme, help individuals improve on cyber hygiene.
As residents of the world’s leading Smart City, we cannot afford to be sloppy – for example, by using weak passwords, not upgrading our antivirus software regularly, disregarding facts verification or thoughtlessly clicking on unknown links without checking for signs of phishing. In the fight against threats from the digital domain, carelessness can be costly.
So, here’s a gentle reminder to turn good practices into good habits, and keep security threats away. Because together, we keep Singapore strong. 😃
#WeAreTotalDefence #TogetherWeKeepSingaporeStrong #cybersafety #cybersecuritysingapore #singaporeonline #cybersg #cybersecurityawareness #cybersecuritytips
🔗: Infocomm and Media Development Authority’s Household Access to Internet Findings (https://www.imda.gov.sg/About-IMDA/Research-and-Statistics/Digital-Society)
🔗: Factually (https://www.gov.sg/factually)