Mr Goh Wei Boon, Chief Executive, Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies
Mr Pang Choon How, Principal, Hwa Chong Institution
Ladies and gentlemen
1. Congratulations to all participants. I know that all of you have come a long way, having prepared for the Cyberthon for several weeks, and even months. We are here to celebrate your achievement today. No matter the outcome, I hope that you had learned something on this journey, made some new friends and picked up some useful skills.
2. Technology has transformed the way we work, communicate, and play.
- Today, we are able to use artificial intelligence to generate essay ideas, produce hyper-realistic paintings, and solve complex mathematical equations. With the sheer speed and scale of innovation, the technological landscape will transform even more in the years to come. Jobs will be transformed as well. There will be jobs you see today that will become redundant and even disappear in time because of technology, but it will also create new work opportunities.
- As we reap the benefits of technology, we must also consider the drawbacks that it can pose to our lives. For example, cyberattacks are a real threat today. They can inflict significant damage, including financial losses, reputational damage, and even physical harm. We have also seen how issues of data security in the use of some digital applications can become a source of contention in international relations.
- In particular, the increasing use of AI-powered technology could facilitate the work of cybercrime syndicates, and these can impact and influence operations and businesses in Singapore.
3. The digital domain has become a contested terrain, akin to how our air, land and sea territories can become potential battlegrounds. If left unguarded, it can impact the security and sovereignty of our nation. As the number and severity of cyber threats continue to rise, the government has also taken proactive measures to build a more resilient cyber ecosystem through initiatives such as the Cybersecurity Act and the National Cybersecurity Strategy.
4. In the education space, the Ministry of Education has taken several steps over the years to nurture local cybersecurity talents, and to equip our students to seize new opportunities in the cybersecurity industry.
- For example, primary and secondary students learn about coding and artificial intelligence through the "Code for Fun" enrichment programme, where they are also exposed to concepts like encryption, and ways to protect themselves and their family and friends against cyberattacks.
- Schools also partner agencies like the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore to conduct assembly talks and enrichment programmes.
- Students with a keen interest in the technology sector can also join their school's related co-curricular activity or take up Computing as a subject at the O- and A-Levels. Those who would like to challenge themselves further and deepen their understanding of cybersecurity can participate in competitions like Cyberthon.
5. I am encouraged to learn that the fifth edition of Cyberthon has grown in strength, with over 500 students from 20 schools forming nearly 140 teams to compete. I understand this is also the first year we have seen non-teaching staff signing up for Cyberthon. This is encouraging as everyone of us can play an important role in our nation's cyber defence.
- I was happy to know that Jin Kai, a 19-year-old cyber specialist who helped design one of the challenges for this year's Cyberthon, was himself an ex-participant of Cyberthon in 2021.
- Inspired by his experience at Cyberthon 2021, Jin Kai will be pursuing a degree in Infosecurity at the National University of Singapore. He is also a recipient of a scholarship from the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies. Congratulations Jin Kai!
6. To all participants, young and young-at-heart: I encourage you to continue on your journey of digital exploration, and keep honing your digital skills.
7. Finally, I would like to thank Hwa Chong Institution, the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, and the Digital and Intelligence Service for organising this annual competition to inspire our young talents.
8. Thank you everyone, and have a good day.