Mr Goh Wei Boon, Chief Executive, Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies
Mr Pang Choon How, Principal, Hwa Chong Institution
Teachers and Students
1. I am very happy to be able to see you again. I was invited as well last year, and I recall congratulating the students and winners who were participating in this very meaningful event.
2. I am glad to know that this year there are more students, more teachers, and more schools participating in the Cyberthon. I think this is a wonderful trend. And I hope that it means that our students and teachers are taking greater interests in digital defence and cybersecurity. These are very important aspects for Singapore's development and growth.
3. We all know that Singapore is a small country and a small node in the international network for trade and businesses. And what this means is that Singapore is very vulnerable to cyber threats like scams, hacks, and disinformation. These are countless activities happening in the background and in the foreground as well. We need cyber warriors and cyber security talents.
4. So, I am glad that amongst our students and teachers, we have people who are interested in developing these skills and I hope that eventually our students will become our champions and our warriors in the cyberspace to defend Singapore.
5. I have some thoughts on how we can further strengthen our cyber defence. First of all, at the individual level, everybody can play a part. We have to inculcate from young, good cyber hygiene in our students. I note that for our students there is, very early on, education about the importance of cyber defence and threats, and how to take personal responsibility to keep ourselves safe and secure in the cyberspace.
6. For the schools, I know our schools have been stepping up many programmes, some of which have been mentioned earlier. Cyber-wellness programmes, Cyberthons, these are very healthy and meaningful programmes that can pique the interest of, and challenge our students to learn more, and go deeper in this domain. And, of course, through competitions like the Cyberthon we hope to discover talent as well, amongst the boys and girls.
7. On this note I am glad to know that more than 100 girls are participating in this year's Cyberthon. We know that in Singapore we are very serious about making sure both women and men have equal opportunities, and we hope in the future to see more women being represented in the STEM fields and certainly in the cyber domain.
8. The industry can also play a part. Being Minister of State for Manpower I see companies playing having a big role as well. Businesses need to take ownership of cyber defence: protecting their data and also protecting themselves against online scams. The bigger companies, the industry leaders like DBS, are also taking the lead by being role models and also providing courses to train not just their employees but also smaller companies in the industries. What this means is at the network-level, in the ecosystem, there will be stronger cyber defence for all.
9. On the government's part, we will always act in Singapore's interest to keep our nation safe and secure. To that end I would say it is very exciting to know that the SAF is establishing a new service: the fourth service called the Digital and Intelligent Service, to partner with the Army, Air Force, and Navy, to make our national defence stronger.
10. We all know that the cyber domain is a very real domain of threat from us. As we have heard in the Russian-Ukraine War, hybrid warfare is taking shape and it is an area, which we have to be prepared for. Interestingly the Cyberthon was launched in 2019, the year that MINDEF introduced the sixth pillar of Total Defence called Digital Defence. I think it is very timely, not just about reminding Singaporeans that digital defence matters, but also to signal the need for us to build capabilities and structures for us to be ready against threats in this domain.
11. Ultimately, we know that no single layer of defence will be sufficient against increasingly clever and sophisticated cyberattacks. But we need to collectively build multiple layers of defence ranging from public education to training, from strengthening our industries to modernising our armed forces, so that we can continue to keep Singapore safe and secure.
12. Last of all, I want to thank Hwa Chong Institution, the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, and the Defence Cyber Organisation for working hard to host this annual competition. To our young talents: I hope that your journey of exploration does not stop here. Stay curious, keep learning, and hone your skills. I hope that you will be the future of our cyber warriors. All the best!