Singapore Announces Cyber Command To Defend On The Cyberspace Frontier

• Singapore announced SAF's Cyber Command prioritized to against foreign cyber actors.

• The Singapore government had earlier decided to adopt new data protection measures to boost cybersecurity and tackle next-generation cyber threats.

• Singapore has been closely watching the developments in the cyber domain and had earlier termed it as "clear and present".

The Minister of Defense, Singapore, Ng Eng Hen, announced the formation of integrated cyber command and force to defend the country’s digital frontier. The announcement makes it obvious that the threat landscapes for governments are not anymore just land, air, and sea. And it is very evident from the policy and budget restructuring that Singapore is doing, keeping in mind the country’s digital boundaries and the cyber threats associated with it.

Singapore's Ministry of Defense stated in the Parliament that the responsibility of finding the right personnel with the right aptitude will be overseen by a team led by the Chief of Defense Force (CDF) and Permanent Secretary (Defense Development). The ministry said the process of integration will take time but stressed the importance of it.

It is important to build an integrated cyber command and force, especially against foreign cyber actors, both state and non-state who seek to undermine our stability and/or pose a threat to national security.

- Singapore's Ministry of Defense

Once the CDF is completely established and functional, it will continue to oversee mission outcomes, while the Chief of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) will report the daily cyber warnings to the CDF.

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The new Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) cyber command will be responsible for providing advanced threat intelligence, assessment and issue warnings for potential cyberattack threats.

The universe of cyber threats and activists is large, and the cyber command will have to prioritize its efforts and focus on key threats so as to not dissipate resources.

- Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defense, Singapore

Besides cyber threats, the Defense Minister also said that the country’s maritime capabilities and counter-terrorism intelligence are also being restructured keeping in mind the geopolitical stress in the surrounding region.

The Singapore government had earlier decided to adopt new data protection measures to boost cybersecurity and tackle next-generation cyber threats. To review its data security practices, the government formed a committee, named 'Public Sector Data Security Review Committee'. As per reports, this committee inspected around 336 network systems across 94 government agencies and observed international data security practices in the financial and healthcare sectors.

Singapore has been closely watching the developments in the cyber domain and had earlier termed it as "clear and present". The announcements to form a cyber command will help it to prioritize its efforts and focus on key threats to not dissipate resources.

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