SINGAPORE: More than 250 participants took part in the third and largest multi-sector exercise aimed at improving Singapore’s crisis response capabilities and readiness to respond effectively to a cyberattack.
Called Exercise Cyber Star, participants from both the public and private sectors were tested on their response to more complex cyberattacks such as Internet connectivity disruption and the compromise of industrial control systems.
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“It’s a constantly evolving set of capabilities that they need, because the threat is constantly evolving,” said Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, who observed the exercise.
“And because of the nature of the Internet, we have to face the most sophisticated threats in the world. And whatever we can think, the attackers out there can think of things which are also more sophisticated and more ingenious. So it’s a constant battle.”
Exercise Cyber Star brought together representatives from 11 critical information infrastructure agencies, including healthcare, energy and aviation. (Photo: Ahmad Khan)
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Eleven critical information infrastructure were involved in the exercise. They are: government, infocomm , energy, aviation, maritime, land transport, healthcare, banking & finance, water, security and emergency, and media.
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Exercise Cyber Star, a multi-sector exercise aimed at improving Singapore’s crisis response capabilities and readiness to respond effectively to a cyberattack. (Photo: Ahmad Khan)
This is the first time the exercise has been held since the SingHealth cyberattack last year. The breach saw the personal information of 1.5 million people stolen.
While the exercise is one way the nation is strengthening its capabilities collectively as a country, individual companies have to boost their own cyber defences.
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Mr Teo said: “Every organisation in Singapore, every individual actually has to look after his own hygiene. So the CSA (Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore) cannot be protecting everyone. So even the non-critical information infrastructure sectors, every company must realise that it can be an existential threat for their company if they get attacked.”
Mr Teo was accompanied by Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-Charge of Cybersecurity S Iswaran, as well as Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Senior Minister of State in-Charge of Cybersecurity.
