Week 10 - IT security landscape in Singapore

 Singapore's Security Landscape in the context of the Mitnick Formula

Kevin Mitnick is an American Computer scientist and renowned hacker who have been arrested for various computer and communication related convictions. With his extensive experience of breaking into systems, Kevin has listed out a security formula consisting of:

Technology - networks, firewalls, computer viruses

Training - awareness and knowledge of various angles of attack

Policy - standard operating procedures and mitigation strategies

The Singapore Security Landscape

Singapore has one of the highest global connectivity score scoring 2nd out of 79 countries surveyed. From broadband penetration to IT infrastructure investments, 91% of Singaporean are social media users.

 In the recent pandemic, the online shopping expenditure has risen to 3.21million SGD. Coupled with high internet usage this means that Singapore is an attractive target vulnerable to cyber crime.

 To reduce the rate of security vulnerabilities, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore mandating codes of security compliance on major ISPs. These requirements include security incident reporting, internationally recognized standards and best practices.

From a training point of view, the government has initiated programs to encourage youths, women and mid-career professionals to pursue a cybersecurity career.

In light of the Ukraine War, Singapore has also established a 4th branch in the military called the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) which will protect critical infrastructure and fight external threats from external "Agressors"

While there are many initiatives from the governmental level, Singapore is not immune is cyber attacks, from data breaches to bank scams, more is needed to educate the wider public of social engineering attacks such as phishing and good digital hygiene.


 

 

 References:

https://dbpedia.org/page/Kevin_Mitnick

https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/about-kevin-mitnick-mitnick-security 

https://sbr.com.sg/information-technology/news/483-million-singaporeans-are-now-online

https://www.huawei.com/minisite/gci/en/country-profile-sg.html

https://www.bestinsingapore.co/internet-penetration-singapore/

https://www.imda.gov.sg/regulations-and-licensing-listing/infocomm-media-cyber-security

https://www.csa.gov.sg/-/media/Csa/Documents/Publications/The-Singapore-Cybersecurity-Strategy-2021.pdf

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/03/04/singapore-to-establish-cyber-military-force/ 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/third-party-data-breach-in-singapore-hits-healthcare-provider/

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