Power cuts, cyberattacks staged across Singapore to mark 40 years of total defence
More than 500 organisations are participating in Exercise SG Ready through simulated disruptions of power, water, food and digital connectivity.
People walk down a staircase at Esplanade MRT station as the escalators are switched off during a simulated power disruption on Feb 15, 2024. (Photo: MINDEF)
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SINGAPORE: “Like an iced drink, I think it’s easier to sell the concept of total defence when the temperature rises and the day is hot.”
But total defence needs to be a “constant endeavour” in Singapore, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen reiterated on Thursday (Feb 15) as he noted the conflicts being waged in Europe and the Middle East.
He was speaking at the start of an islandwide exercise on Total Defence Day, to mark 40 years since the defence concept was introduced in Singapore.
Over two weeks until Feb 29, more than 500 organisations will participate in the inaugural Exercise SG Ready through simulated disruptions of power, water, food supply or digital connectivity.
Some participating organisations will also simulate a civil emergency arising from widespread cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and drone attacks.
These disruptions will be staged at schools, offices and MRT stations, among other places. The public can visit SGReadyGoWhere to find out where and when they will take place.
Total defence in Singapore encompasses the military, civil, economic, social and psychological domains, with the newest, sixth pillar of digital defence added in 2019.
In a video message to launch Exercise SG Ready, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said total defence remains crucial as Singapore’s external environment has become more complex and volatile.
Apart from major power competition, armed conflict and terrorism, Singapore must also contend with new threats from more sophisticated cyberattacks, hostile information campaigns and the impact of climate change.
“I urge everyone to use this opportunity to learn about the threats facing us, reflect on whether we are ready to deal with such threats, and practise what to do when they materialise,” said Mr Wong.
More than 50 organisations took part in the exercise on Thursday.
One of them was consulting firm Bain & Company, which simulated power and water supply disruptions and conducted an office-wide email phishing drill.
A small number of employees took the phishing bait, driving home that the organisation’s readiness depends on its employees’ vigilance, said Mr Edmund Lin, Bain’s chairperson of Southeast Asia.
“We can have the right business processes in place to manage risks, but at the end of the day, the frontline of our employees is what we need to manage risk reporting,” he told reporters.
Lunchtime commuters at Esplanade MRT station also got a taste of wartime inconvenience when escalators powered down to simulate an electricity disruption.
At the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the water supply was shut and staff ate ready-to-eat meals developed by the Singapore Food Agency and SATS.
The meals are designed to have a long shelf life at room temperature, and incorporate local produce for nutritional balance.
At night, there will be a simulated blackout around the Padang and Esplanade, when the external facade lights of 20 prominent buildings go dark for an hour.
