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SINGAPORE: The government has launched a new S$70 million Infocomm Security Masterplan to fight against cyber threats over the next five years.
The Infocomm Security Masterplan 2 (MP2) will engage both the public and private sectors and strengthen their competencies in countering infocomm security threats.
This was announced on Thursday by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, at the annual Infocomm Security Seminar organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Ministry of Finance.
The first masterplan, which was launched in February 2005, had focused on the public sector, by making its infrastructure more robust and encouraging the public to go online when using government services.
The minister said the second plan will expand on that and look at both the public and private sectors in securing Singapore’s cyberspace.
Broadband penetration is so high in Singapore that one in two businesses uses broadband. In addition, almost 80 per cent of all households are already on broadband. Such high usage brings with it security risks.
Dr Balakrishnan said: "Given the borderless nature of the Web, we all know that cyber threats can emanate from anywhere and continue to be propagated from anywhere and seek victims all over the world."
So to boost IT security, government and industry players are zooming in on some areas that need to be enhanced.
In what is believed to be a first in Asia, an Association of Information Security Professionals (AISP) has been launched to provide accreditation for those in the IT profession.
This will help facilitate standardised qualifications and career development programmes so as to ensure that infocomm security practitioners maintain their sharpness and industry standards.
Gerard Tan, Chairman of AISP, said: "Some critical issues are things like awareness of security. I think there's a high level of awareness already in Singapore but we need to share the information, to spread the knowledge and to bring all the professionals from the different fields of infocomm security together."
To keep the talent pool growing, up to 20 scholarships will be offered for students to study infocomm security at tertiary levels. They will also be offered work stints at various companies.
There are also plans to reach out to the public. One of the new initiatives under this plan is called the Cyber-Security Awareness Alliance, which will involve both the public and private sectors.
This will see the government, infocomm companies and trade associations coming together to enhance the awareness and adoption of infocomm security measures at home and in businesses.
But since there is really no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to IT security, the masterplan also has a sector-specific infocomm security programme which will tailor programmes for crucial sectors, starting with the infocomm and energy sectors. - CNA/ir/vm
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