Technology
The Maritime Cybersecurity Operation Centre will be established by the third quarter of this year, says the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
A view of the Keppel container port in Singapore. (File photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Tuesday (Apr 24) announced it will establish a round-the-clock cybersecurity operations facility by the third quarter of this year.
The Maritime Cybersecurity Operation Centre is meant to augment the agency’s capabilities for early detection, monitoring, analysis and response to potential cyberattacks, MPA said in its press release, adding that more details on this initiative will be announced subsequently.
The protection of critical information infrastructures (CIIs) is one of the key areas the agency will focus on as sector lead for maritime cybersecurity, it added.
Mr Niam Chiang Meng, chairman of MPA and guest-of-honour at the Maritime Cyber Security Seminar on Tuesday, said cybersecurity has “vaulted to the forefront” as a key challenge the industry must take seriously and view as a business priority.
“We need to move beyond awareness towards action,” said Mr Niam. “This means investing in necessary measures, be it system enhancements, process changes or people development to be cyber resilient.”
This comes after Singapore’s Cybersecurity Bill was passed in February this year, which deals with CIIs in particular. The owners of CIIs have to comply with codes of practice and standards of performance, conduct cybersecurity audits and risk assessments and participate in cybersecurity exercises under the Bill.
