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With the onset of the pandemic, there is no doubt that agencies and companies feel a more pressing need to ramp up cybersecurity infrastructure and network security models. Cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated, driven by accelerated digital transformation – moving to cloud, rolling out new applications and e-services at lightning speed – to address the needs of citizens and customers.
Combined with the surge in the use of end-point devices for remote working and the entry of new emerging technologies like IoT (Internet of Things), cybercriminals are having a field day, creating havoc in customer records, causing huge financial and intellectual property losses in public and private sector organisations alike.
The widespread move towards remote work and hence, the need for access and security have spurred investment in ZeroTrust security. The ability to authenticate and monitor all traffic, regardless of its position inside or outside of an organisation’s network, promises to reduce or eliminate many security risks.
The pandemic changed things and there is no turning back to an old reality. The question is: How can organisations keep up with the never-ending threat of cyberattacks and futureproofing themselves?
The 7th Annual Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2022, Day 3, was held on 19 May 2022 at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. It convened digital leaders from the Singapore public sector and financial services industry to discuss, deliberate, share and plan for the next phase of transformation.
Security in a post-covid reality
Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director, and Editor-in-Chief, OpenGov Asia, kicked off the session with his opening address.
“We’re in the age of the metaverse,” Mohit claims, pointing out the growing trend of the metaverse. “The metaverse is where all the information will be sitting very soon. Everyone who does not know cryptocurrency will think that it is bad.”
Being a digital-first nation, Singapore is at the centre of attention. If the nation is not future-ready, it cannot be said to be prepared at all, Mohit claims. And in a future-ready country, data is foundational. Safe and wide access to data then becomes the challenge and goal.
With consumers and businesses operating in a more distributed fashion, the attack surface has widened more than ever before as well. Like in other parts of the world, cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly common in Singapore, Mohit acknowledges. Ransomware cases in Singapore rose 154% in 2020, clearly becoming a growing threat.
Against this backdrop, a new ransomware economy has emerged for attackers, enabled by ransomware-as-a-service providers. Attackers have grown sophisticated in executing double extortion attacks whereby sensitive data is exfiltrated under threat of release.
“The world is not the same as it was, but are organisations keeping up with the changes?” Mohit asks. “ About 95% of all successful cyber-attacks are caused by human error.”
People need more intel because the threat is ongoing. Cyberthreats will continue to evolve, Mohit claims. People can no longer hide behind security o stifle development and innovation. Organisations must embrace the risks, plan for them and push the envelope as far as possible.
In conclusion, he feels, the best approach to safeguard data is to look for partners who are experts in their field of work who can help organisations keep their glass full so that they can focus on their business objectives.
Acknowledging the changing frontiers of technology
Bidyut Dumra, Executive Director & Head of Innovation DBS Bank spoke next on the rising trend of the metaverse.
In his current role, Bidyut looks after innovation in the bank and also furthers other areas of interest – metaverse, running an online gaming tournament and a network of gaming cafes. Bidyut begins by sharing his experience of working in different sectors.
As part of innovation at DBS, they do trend spotting and create a house field that dictates when to jump on a trend and how. According to Bidyut, the semblance of the metaverse came in 2019 and there were a few indicators that heralded it: 1) The typical persona of a gamer changed significantly. The number of gaming personas increased and the financial activity online has increased dramatically. 2) There was a dramatic increase in the popularity of e-sports and 3) Technology pushed that bridge between digital and physical experience.
Considering the trends, DBS began sponsoring championships, creating their team to compete and addressing gamer incentives. They invested heavily in understanding blockchain and went about creating their platform, tokens and digital assets.
“To put it simply, the metaverse is a digital reality,” Bidyut opines. “It is characterised by being real-time, its persistence and the experience of identity and assets. Within the metaverse, there can be multiple experiences of work, life, and play. With the metaverse, one can take on multiple avatars to mimic what people can do in their physical life.”
Each metaverse is a planet, where you can own land, assets (characters, clothes, etc.) and privileges, which can sometimes be transferred into the physical world. For instance, a ticket in the metaverse might grant you access to the physical world, and vice-versa. All transactions in the metaverse are stored in a blockchain – it is an underlying tech.
To serve and take advantage of this market and business opportunity, people are creating ancillary services and businesses, he notes. There are a lot of people are in the space – investments have gone up.
Ultimately, it is code, and code is built by people. This means that security falls back on the integrity of the code and the coder. He encourages delegates to take a closer look at metaverses because that is where the money and sentiment are heading towards.
Staying secure with Zero Trust
Scott Hesford, Director of Solutions Engineering, APJ, BeyondTrust elaborated on Zero Trust and how privileges can be applied.
“What is Zero Trust?” Scott begins. “It is an evolving set of cybersecurity paradigms that move defences from static, network-based perimeters to focus on users, assets, and resources.”
The Zero Trust framework is still fairly vague in terms of what specific technology is required and how to implement it. It has mostly been left up to technology vendors, agencies and organisations to determine what Zero Trust is. Consequently, it has become an industry buzzword that can mean many different things, depending on the vendor offering it.
Assets, users and devices are no longer confined in a physical structure behind a secured perimeter but instead scattered in a new cloud-based universe. Organisations can no longer rely on typical network controls for their security. Digital transformation – including cloud and workforce mobility – has vastly expanded the attack surface.
The Zero Trust model brings a lot of focus to the potential that something or someone within the network perimeter has been compromised.
Under the assumption that every user, request and server is untrusted until proven otherwise, a zero-trust solution dynamically and continually assesses trust every time a user or device requests access to a resource.
This approach prevents attackers from exploiting weaknesses in the perimeter to gain entry, and, once inside, move laterally to access confidential applications and data.
On the path to Zero Trust, NIST provides a clear playbook on how to adopt zero trust principles. He emphasises that zero trust is not a single set of technologies an organisation can purchase, but a guiding set of principles that organisations will gradually adopt as they shift resources from on-premises to the cloud and retire legacy architecture. In the implementation process, hybrid implementations are expected to continue, given the challenges of modernising legacy systems that may be incompatible with zero trust
In the adoption journey, the role of Privileged Access Management (PAM) is critical, Scott asserts. Applying the granularity of PAM to achieve Zero Trust objectives ensures all access is appropriate, managed and documented – regardless of how the perimeter has been redefined.
According to Scott, PAM enables Zero Trust in 8 ways:
- Continuously enforces adaptive and just-in-time access controls based on context
- Manages and enforces credential security best practices for all privileged passwords, secrets, and keys for accounts
- Applies least privilege controls for every identity and account – human, application, machine, employee, vendor, etc.
- Implements segmentation and micro-segmentation to isolate various assets, resources, and users to restrict lateral movement
- Secures remote access with granular least privilege and adaptive capabilities well beyond that of VPNs, RDP, and other common remote access technologies
- Secures access to control planes (cloud, virtual, DevOps) and sensitive applications
- Continuously monitors, manages and audits every privileged session that touches the enterprise
BeyondTrust and ZeroTrust are solutions that support the smart, practical implementation of NIST’s Zero Trust security model without disrupting business processes. BeyondTrust solutions can be implemented with a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). Scott concludes that the hybrid approach provides companies with the ability to select the parts of the Zero Trust model that make sense to implement in their environment with a common-sense approach toward long-term security. In closing, he urges the delegates to consider Zero Trust adoption – a vital framework to keep the data safe.
Cyber resilience in face of evolving challenges
Soh Kiat Hiong, Head of System Engineering, Rubrik, shared thoughts on cyber resilience in the new normal.
“As we all know, ransomware is a clear and growing threat,” Kiat Hiong observes. “With consumers and businesses operating in a more distributed fashion, the attack surface has widened more than ever before as well”
Agreeing with Mohit, he acknowledges that a new ransomware economy has emerged for attackers, enabled by ransomware-as-a-service providers. Attackers have grown increasingly clever in deploying double extortion attacks in which critical data is taken under threat of release. There is a shift from an opportunistic approach to a targeted approach.
Ransomware as a service is making it easier for criminals to commit crimes. There is also a rise in high-profile ransomware incidences. “How do we secure and eliminate the surface area and ensure that data is encrypted?” Kiat Hiong asks.
For Kiat Hiong, resilience is about having data security that aligns with the Zero Trust data security framework. It is not just about backup and recovery but about understanding the magnitude of impact – about understanding, identifying the sensitive data, and tiering the recovery. To do that requires one to streamline the valuable information, understand the high-value data that is impacted and prevent re-infection.
Additionally, Kiat Hiong shares that Rubrik is also able to offer insights on cyber-attacks. Rubrik saw an opportunity in understanding what has happened and what has changed. When data is ingested, it allows them to understand the environment and prevent ransomware from reinfecting customers.
He highlights the use case in the public sector in Singapore. Before Rubrik stepped in, there were legacy platforms without an air gap, which has a big surface area for attack due to the separation between the backup and storage. As such, Rubrik implemented zero-trust data security to eliminate the surface area for an attack so that no data is presented online.
With Rubrik’s Zero Trust Data Security, the organisation:
- Scaled-Out Simplicity with Zero Data Security
- Removed storage online or on the network (native logical air gap)
- Ensured that backups cannot be modified/encrypted (immutable file system)
- Integrated with AWS S3 Immutable Object Lock
- Guaranteed that major attacks are now recoverable events from the 1st copy
As a result, the organisation achieved:
- 80% Productivity Improvement
- Accelerated DevTest with API (application programming interfaces) automation
- Reduced Business Downtime with Instant Live Mount
- Near 100% success rate
In concluding his presentation, Kiat Hiong outlined the 3 key pillars of Rubrik’s Zero Trust Data Security – Data Resilience, Data Observability and Data Recovery. More importantly, Rubrik is also able to give insights, conduct ransomware investigation and sensitive data discovery, and carry out threat hunting. He encourages the delegates to speak with him to further understand how Rubrik can assist organisations in the security of their data.
Polling results in the morning session
Throughout the morning session, delegates were polled on different topics.
The first poll inquired about key business initiatives for the next 12-18 months. Over a third (35%) are focused on improving employee productivity through digital technology, followed by modernising, and securing apps (29%), embedding compliance transparently in applications (18%), enabling real-time performance visibility and analysis (9%) and improving agility and delivery through Cloud Migration (9%).
Delegates were then asked about what would have the bulk of their budget allocation in 2022 –2023. Under a quarter (23%) indicated embracing cloud technology, be it public or private as the bulk of their budget. One section was equally divided between allocating the bulk of their budget to the digitalisation of processes to deliver better or ‘Smart’ services (19%) and improving integrity and governance while reducing inefficiency (19%). The rest indicated they would invest in leveraging IoT to improve processes and productivity (15%), enhancing or adopting AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Analytics for improving outcomes through forecasting, prediction, and optimisation (12%) or fortifying resilience (12%).
On the main motivator that is driving digital transformation, most (40%) are influenced by the desire to speed up their time-to-market to fully capitalise on business opportunities or to serve citizens better. Just over a quarter (28%) see a growing need to maximise value/insights from an increasing amount of data assets as a motivator. Others were split between the improved capability to manage an increasing amount of data at the edge locations while ensuring security and compliance (16%) and providing a consistent and seamless cloud-everywhere experience across a distributed organisation (16%).
Inquiring about concerns in the consideration to move to cloud, over half (52%) were anxious about security and governance. Other delegates were focussing on the need to re-skill talent (28%), operational costs (17%) or vendor lock-in (3%).
The subsequent poll asked delegates what they saw as the biggest challenge in digitalisation and cloud migration. Over a third (38%) found people and skillset the biggest issue, under a quarter chose data classification/data sovereignty/data residency and just over a fifth (21%) went with security and compliance risk. One group of the remaining delegates was evenly divided over executive support/top management strategy (7%) and legacy infrastructure (7%) while the rest (3%) said the budget was of concern.
Inquiring about the cyber security concerns that organisations are most worried about, about a third (32%) were concerned about phishing and spear-phishing campaigns. The remaining delegates are concerned about social engineering campaigns targeting employees/partners/users (29%), attacks on public-facing websites and infrastructure, e.g. SQLi, XSS, DDOS (25%) and attacks on remote access infrastructure, e.g. VPN compromise (14%).
On their plans to implement Zero Trust across their extended environment, most (47%) are partnering with multiple security partners to build a practical and pragmatic roadmap to implement zero trust. Other delegates were split between implementing zero trust with a primary focus on identifying our critical assets (42%) and making huge investments in different technologies and not sure where to start due to operational complexities (11%).
On the key driver for their organisation’s initiating/augmenting an identity access/Zero Trust management programme, over half (58%) identified Security/Data Protection/Breach Prevention as a key driver. That is followed by the desire to reduce endpoint, Insider and IoT security threats (16%). The remaining delegates were split between internal/Industry/Regulatory compliance (11%), operational efficiency (11%), and addressing hybrid IT (Information Technology) security issues (5%).
When asked about the approach that is for their organisation in evolving to SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), an overwhelming majority would take a best of breed approach to select partners that are most appropriate to my organisation’s needs (73%), followed by looking for partners who can provide complete SASE solution (27%).
In conversation: Digital Sovereignty – the impact on your cloud strategy
The polling was followed by a conversation between Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director & Editor-In-Chief OpenGov Asia, Kenny Seah, Head of Identity Access Management, Adnovum Singapore and Melvin Koh, Head of Sales Engineering ASEAN, Thales.
The rapid and pervasive development of digital technology has brought ‘digital sovereignty’ to the forefront of many governments’ policy agendas. Many countries have introduced digital sovereignty laws of varying scope on account of concerns about cybersecurity, data privacy and sensitivity and cyber capabilities, often imposing broad restrictions on cross-border data transfer or introducing local content requirements for digital-related services.
Melvin explains that digital sovereignty is about an organisation’s control over hardware software and data controlled by the organisation, which is related to the data privacy act. It shifts the responsibility to the organisation to protect the data. He notes that the prevailing data protection challenge lies in instances where data is shared outwards or in use and emphasises the importance of seeing where the data is shared.
Mohit was curious about Kenny’s thoughts on the impact of digital sovereignty on the deployment of cloud strategy, to which Kenny observes the trend that more organisations are embarking on a cloud strategy. However, the missing focus is on the migration process – knowing how to do it and choosing the approaches. Organisations need to be aware of the different strategies.
Mohit adds that it is not a lift-and-shift play and that organisations need to re-organise their data when they adopt cloud technology. Kenny believes that the process of determining whether data can migrate to cloud is understanding whether data is protected through encryption, generalisation, tokenisation, and anonymisation to maintain the control.
Mohit concurs that data classification is a complex question and when thinking about a successful cloud strategy, 3 major pillars support digital sovereignty objectives: data sovereignty, operational sovereignty and software sovereignty.
Besides data sovereignty, which was mentioned by Melvin, Kenny offers definitions of the other two terms: 1) Operational Sovereignty – maintaining resilience and having control over operations and managing incidence when a breach is detected and 2) Software sovereignty – propriety control over the software that organisations or their vendor have developed or co-sourced. That arrangement needs to be well-protected through legal means so that organisations will have ownership of the software
Melvin feels that when moving to cloud, it always begins as hybrid cloud. Organisations at the start of the journey will need to classify what can be moved to cloud. They will have to understand the security they have on-prem and on their cloud service provider. It would be crucial to maintain the same level of security for both systems.
For organisations already in the cloud and have multiple clouds, management becomes an issue. There needs to be a centralised component to manage both clouds and maintain the lifecycle of the key.
In conclusion, Kenny added that data classification and complexity of multi-cloud strategy are considerations for organisations planning their cloud strategy and Melvin added that it is a journey that will require time and patience.
Strengthening security through SaaS
Lim Wee Jian, Senior Solutions Engineer Public Sector, VMware talked about the SaaS approach toward security.
VMware’s goal is to run more with existing resources and make their business run faster. He notes that the cloud migration has made data more distributed and VMware’s mission is to help organisations run more apps on any of the cloud at scale.
Cloud technology has its own set of complications, Wee Jian believes. It can be an inconsistent experience for operations or development – applications are leveraging on a cloud-native architecture which makes running applications and multi-cloud complicated.
There are many compelling reasons for modernising applications. COVID-19 has brought about a radical change in how businesses operate and deliver to consumer expectations. Technologies like Grabfood, Shopping website, Netflix and most importantly, Tracetogether, are good examples of the user experience becoming a digitally driven one.
Digital transactions are the new currency for services and this requires modern applications and systems that support a digital ecosystem. The ability to deliver new features and services rapidly is essential.
For businesses to remain competitive and agile, they would require systems that are fast, automated, and repeatable capabilities. Capabilities such as automated application building and deployment within hours or minutes including all phases of code and security testing.
More importantly, a digital system drives the need for cultural and operational change, and this needs a digital ecosystem that is well integrated and automated.
While building our modern application using cloud-native approach, we will need to inject security during development or operation time.
DevSecOps is a way of approaching IT security with an “everyone is responsible for security” mindset. It involves injecting security practices into an organization’s DevOps pipeline. The goal is to incorporate security into all stages of the software development workflow. The obvious advantage of doing this is that organisations can identify potential vulnerabilities and work on resolving them sooner – the earlier you find any bugs, the cheaper it will be for you to fix them.
About the factors contributing to the SaaS trend, Wee Jian mentioned:
- Operational efficiency – Customers are looking at the time and cost benefits of using vendor-managed services.
- Security – Customer looking at a vendor to take up the responsibility to maintain and update the software to resolve security vulnerabilities
- Reliability – SLA is always sometime on top of our customer’s minds to ensure that the availability of services is guaranteed.
- Allow enterprises to focus more on business and less on maintaining operations, security, and high availability
Using the Tanzu portfolio, Wee Jian demonstrates the processes involved in the context of the day-to-day work of building, delivering, and managing modern apps – from how to support developer velocity to operating in production at scale.
Wee Jian emphasises that it is an effort that requires tight collaboration across development, security, and operational teams, ensuring each team’s needs are met, but with a clear separation of concerns so that each role can be optimised for their jobs. Developers can focus on delivering key business logic. Security teams can ensure security and compliance guardrails are inserted end-to-end (and automated), and operations teams (or platform teams) can focus on the platform —and the applications and clusters running there.
In conclusion, Wee Jian believes that great modern software is not just about the tools but about the people and culture. Tanzu Lab is a consultancy service that can help the team scale their practice.
Buttressing your cyber recovery capabilities
Marcus Loh, General Manager, South Asia Data Protection Solutions, Dell Technologies spoke next on cyber recovery.
Marcus begins by emphasising that people cannot afford to be walled off even though that is the most secure position – businesses need a productive solution that can be deployed in their environments.
Unpacking the concept of cyber resiliency, Marcus explains, “Cybersecurity describes a company’s ability to protect against and avoid the increasing threat from cybercrime. Meanwhile, cyber resilience refers to a company’s ability to mitigate damage (damage to systems, processes, and reputation), and carry on once systems or data have been compromised. In essence, cyber resilience is about reducing the impact of a cyber event.”
The explosion of data is a pressing issue that many organisations face. COVID-19 expedited the process because brick-and-mortar establishments are going online. However, most organisations do not know what info they have and why they are keeping them.
What is making data retention policy problematic is when organisations keep it forever. He shares that only 15% of all data are mission-critical. Keeping data increases the attack surface – and especially so because people are working from home.
What he also observes is the unequal attention on prevention but not on recovery. However, he highlights that ransomware has been designed to target the backup.
He believes that traditional strategies are not enough to do the following:
- Backup Server encryption
- Backup encryption
- DNS/AD down/corruption
- Recovery performance in massive change rate, full application recovery
- Full-stack recovery
- Primary data encryption
- Restore targets
It is easy to say that data recovery is about identifying the correct backup version and recovery but it is hard to tell if your backup is dirty. “How do you ensure that you have a clean backup copy?” Marcus asks.
In conclusion, he emphasises the importance of finding out the MVO (minimal viable organisation) of an organisation. He reiterates that organisations only need 15% of mission-critical applications to run their business in the event of a cyber event. “When you protect everything, you protect nothing,” Marcus claims.
Polling results in the afternoon session
Throughout the afternoon session, delegates were polled on different topics.
The first poll inquired about key business initiatives for the next 12-18 months. Most (47%) are focused on improving employee productivity through digital technology, followed by modernising and securing apps (27%) and improving agility and delivery through Cloud Migration (13%). The remainder were equally split over embedding compliance transparently in applications (7%) and enabling real-time performance visibility and analysis (7%).
Delegates were then asked about what would have the bulk of their budget allocation in 2022 –2023. Half (50%) indicated embracing cloud technology, be it public or private as the bulk of their budget. The remaining delegates allocated the bulk of their budget to fortifying cyber resilience (22%), digitalisation of processes to deliver better or ‘Smart’ services (17%), improving integrity and governance whilst reducing inefficiency (6%) and enhancing or adopting AI and Analytics for improving outcomes through forecasting, prediction, and optimisation (6%).
On the main motivator that is driving digital transformation, delegates were equally divided between speeding up their time-to-market to fully capitalise on business opportunities or to serve citizens better (31%) and improving their capability to manage an increasing amount of data at the edge locations while ensuring security and compliance (31%). The rest of the delegates are driven by the need to provide a consistent and seamless cloud-everywhere experience across a distributed organisation (15%).
Regarding key concerns in the consideration to move to cloud, most (47%) were focused on the need to re-skill talent (47%), followed by security and governance (40%) while the rest were looking at operational costs (13%).
About what they saw as the biggest challenge in digitalisation and cloud migration, half (50%) found people and skillset the biggest issue. The rest of the delegates found data classification/data sovereignty/data residency (21%) and security and compliance risk (21%) challenging. The remaining delegates found budget (7%) to be of concern.
Inquiring about the cyber security concerns that organisations are most worried about, most delegates (40%) were concerned about attacks on public-facing websites and infrastructure. (e.g., SQLi, XSS, DDOS). A third (33%) are concerned about phishing and spear-phishing campaigns. The remaining delegates are bothered about social engineering campaigns targeting employees/partners/users (20%) and attacks on remote access infrastructure, e.g., VPN compromise (7%).
On their plans to implement Zero Trust across their extended environment, most (67%) have already started implementing zero trust with a primary focus on identifying our critical assets and a third (33%) are partnering with multiple security partners to build a practical and pragmatic roadmap to implement zero trust.
Asked about key drivers for their organisation’s initiating/augmenting an identity access/Zero Trust management programme, most (45%) identified Security/Data Protection/Breach Prevention as critical and was followed by internal/Industry/Regulatory compliance (18%). The rest of the delegates are evenly split between the desire to reduce endpoint, Insider and IoT security threats (9%), operational efficiency (9%), response to audit or security incidents (9%) and addressing hybrid IT security issues (9%).
Inquiring about the approach for their organisation in evolving to SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), an overwhelming majority (75%) would take a best-of-breed approach to select partners that are most appropriate to the organisation’s needs. The rest said they would be staying with existing partners, consolidating as necessary (17%) or are looking for partners who can provide a complete SASE solution (8%).
Closing
To conclude the day, Mohit stresses the importance of getting started on the journey of securing data and information. It is the only way to stay relevant in face of changing realities. For Mohit, there is a need to take a serious look at security and data recovery – attacks are inevitable. It is crucial because organisations are focusing on technologies to keep their most vulnerable populations safe and secure – kids, seniors, families and communities.
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The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) recently unveiled the pivotal insights gleaned from its inaugural Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report 2023. Conducted between May and August of the previous year, the survey canvassed the opinions of 2,036 organisations spanning various sises and sectors.
The objective was to gauge the landscape of cybersecurity readiness across local entities and inform CSA’s strategic initiatives. The importance of bolstering cybersecurity resilience within these organisations cannot be overstated, as they play a critical role in shaping the digital experiences of Singaporeans through their services and products.
The findings unveiled a mixed landscape: while the majority of organisations demonstrated an awareness of cybersecurity imperatives, there remains substantial room for improvement in adoption rates. On average, organisations reported implementing around 70% of essential cybersecurity measures across various categories. Additionally, a significant proportion, approximately 75%, acknowledged CSA’s cybersecurity certification programmes, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust, which serve as national standards for prioritising cybersecurity measures.
Despite these positive indicators, CSA sounded a cautionary note, emphasising the inadequacy of partial adoption. Without the full spectrum of essential measures, organisations remain vulnerable to unnecessary cyber risks. Alarmingly, only a third of organisations had fully implemented at least three of the five categories outlined in Cyber Essentials. This underscores the urgency for comprehensive adoption to fortify cybersecurity posture effectively.
A prevalent challenge cited by organisations hindering full adoption was a lack of knowledge and experience, echoed by 59% of businesses and 56% of non-profits. This is compounded by the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, exacerbated by a shortage of skilled cyber professionals. Moreover, a prevailing perception of being unlikely targets of cyber-attacks and resource constraints further impedes progress in bolstering defences.
The consequences of inadequate cybersecurity measures were starkly evident, with over 80% of organisations reporting encountering cybersecurity incidents annually, including prevalent threats like ransomware and social engineering scams. These incidents invariably inflicted a negative business impact, with disruptions, data loss, and reputational damage among the most commonly cited consequences.
While the cost of implementing cyber hygiene measures may seem daunting, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it pales in comparison to the potential financial ramifications of cyber incidents. CSA emphasises the importance of viewing cybersecurity investment as essential insurance against potentially catastrophic losses.
In response to these challenges, CSA has rolled out a comprehensive suite of initiatives aimed at bolstering organisational cybersecurity resilience. These include cybersecurity resources to raise awareness, tailored health plans delivered by cybersecurity consultants, and certification programmes such as Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust. Additionally, the collaboration with the Infocomm Media Development Authority has led to the introduction of the Cybersecurity Health Check, providing organisations with a self-assessment tool to benchmark their cyber hygiene and access remedial resources.
Mr. David Koh, Chief Executive of CSA, stressed the imperative for organisations to prioritise cybersecurity and leverage available resources and funding support. Delaying proactive measures until after an incident occurs, he cautioned, would prove significantly more costly in the long run.
The release of the Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report underscores the urgent need for organisations to fortify their cybersecurity posture comprehensively. By embracing a holistic approach to cybersecurity and leveraging available resources and support, organisations can mitigate risks and safeguard against the increasingly sophisticated cyber threats of the digital age.
The Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report 2023 is available at www.csa.gov.sg/cyberhealthreport and the Cybersecurity Health Check can be accessed at https://www.csa.gov.sg/cyberhealthchecktool.
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In a remarkable leap forward in the field of neuroscience, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) have introduced a groundbreaking algorithm known as the Unique Brain Network Identification Number (UBNIN). This innovative algorithm is poised to revolutionise the analysis of brain connectivity patterns, offering profound insights into both healthy brain function and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD).
The human brain, with its intricate network of neural connections, is a marvel of complexity. Each individual possesses a unique pattern of brain connectivity, akin to a fingerprint of the mind. Recognising the significance of these individualised brain networks, the researchers at IIT Guwahati set out to develop a method capable of decoding and quantifying these intricate patterns.
The UBNIN algorithm represents a paradigm shift in how we understand and analyse brain connectivity. Drawing upon data from structural MRI scans, the algorithm constructs a network model of the brain, with each region of the brain represented as a node. These nodes are interconnected by edges, reflecting the strength of connectivity between different brain regions.
What sets UBNIN apart is its ability to distil this complex network into a single numerical identifier. This unique identifier, akin to a digital signature for the brain, encapsulates the individualised connectivity patterns of each person. By quantifying these patterns into numerical values, UBNIN offers a powerful tool for understanding the structural organisation of the brain.
The implications of UBNIN are far-reaching. One potential application lies in the realm of brainprinting, where individual brain signatures could be used for identification purposes. Much like a fingerprint uniquely identifies an individual, UBNIN could serve as a digital identifier for the brain, with applications in personalised medicine, biometrics, and cognitive neuroscience.
Moreover, UBNIN holds promise as a biomarker for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Early detection of Parkinson’s is crucial for initiating timely interventions and improving patient outcomes. By analysing changes in UBNIN values over time, researchers may be able to identify subtle alterations in brain connectivity associated with the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
To validate the utility of UBNIN as a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, researchers conducted a comprehensive study involving structural MRI scans from both PD patients and healthy individuals. The results were promising, with UBNIN values exhibiting distinct patterns in PD patients compared to healthy controls. This suggests that UBNIN has the potential to serve as a sensitive and specific biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, offering new avenues for early diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Furthermore, the researchers explored the impact of age on brain connectivity patterns. Aging is associated with changes in brain structure and function, which may contribute to the development of neurological disorders. By analysing structural MRI data from individuals across different age groups, the researchers found that brain connectivity patterns indeed change with age. Specifically, they observed a decrease in the clustering coefficient—a measure of network connectivity—with increasing age. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic nature of brain plasticity and aging.
Dr. Cota Navin Gupta, Assistant Professor at the Neural Engineering Lab, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, commented on the significance of these findings. “UBNIN offers a unique window into the structural organisation of the brain,” he remarked. “By quantifying individualised brain connectivity patterns, UBNIN has the potential to transform our understanding of brain function and dysfunction.”
Looking ahead, the researchers envision further applications of UBNIN in diverse fields, ranging from personalised medicine to cognitive neuroscience. By harnessing the power of UBNIN, researchers may unlock the mysteries of the human brain, paving the way for new insights into neurological disorders and brain health.
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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called upon the youth to take the lead in propelling Vietnam’s digital transformation, emphasising their crucial role in shaping the nation’s future amidst the burgeoning digital economy. The Prime Minister made these remarks during a dialogue held in Hanoi on March 26, where he engaged with 300 outstanding young individuals from various regions of the country.
With the digital economy projected to contribute 30% to the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, PM Chinh underscored the urgency for Vietnam to embrace digitalisation as an indispensable global trend. He highlighted digital transformation as a cornerstone alongside the green economy, circular economy, sharing economy, and intellectual economy, essential for realising the nation’s development objectives of transitioning into a modern, upper-middle-income country by 2030 and achieving developed, high-income status by 2045.
In his address, PM Chinh urged the youth to champion digitalisation by raising public awareness, advocating for policy reforms, driving administrative modernisation through digital technologies, and advancing research and development efforts in the digital domain. Emphasising their role as pioneers, he expressed confidence in the youth’s ability to contribute, innovate, integrate into society, and pursue personal growth.
Moreover, PM Chinh called upon the youth to collaborate with the government in establishing a digital government, digital economy, digital society, and nurturing digital citisenship. This collaborative approach is deemed essential for harnessing the full potential of digital technologies to address societal challenges and drive inclusive growth.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s call, the youth presented recommendations to the government, emphasising the need to refine the legal framework governing digital platforms and establish effective communication channels to engage citisens in the digital transformation process. They stressed the importance of inclusivity and transparency in policymaking to ensure the successful implementation of digital initiatives.
During the dialogue, PM Chinh addressed queries from the youth regarding data protection, cybersecurity measures, integration of public services with the national population database, and strategies to preserve cultural identity in the digital age. Acknowledging these concerns, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding data privacy, enhancing cybersecurity, and promoting cultural heritage preservation in the digital era.
Furthermore, PM Chinh instructed relevant ministries, authorities, and localities to expedite the implementation of the National Digital Transformation Programme, refine existing mechanisms and policies, and create an enabling environment for youth-led initiatives. This concerted effort aims to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy among the younger generation, thereby ensuring their active participation in shaping Vietnam’s digital future.
The dialogue served as a platform for meaningful exchanges between the government and the youth, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in driving Vietnam’s digital transformation agenda. With the youth at the forefront, Vietnam is poised to harness the opportunities offered by digital technologies to achieve sustainable development and prosperity for all.
As reported by openGov Asia, Vietnam is undergoing a digital revolution, characterised by concerted endeavours to advance the country’s digital transformation. With aspirations to attain high-income status by 2045, Vietnam’s digital technology sector focuses on mastering technology, fostering innovation, and developing domestic manufacturing capacities.
In this context, inclusivity and collaboration are essential, serving as key drivers to unleash the transformative power of technology and foster economic expansion, ensuring broad societal participation and contribution to the nation’s advancement.
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Bushfires represent one of the most formidable challenges faced by firefighters worldwide. With their unpredictable behaviour and rapid spread, combating these blazes demands innovative solutions to ensure the safety of both responders and communities at risk. In a groundbreaking initiative, researchers are harnessing the power of robotics to revolutionise bushfire response, paving the way for more effective firefighting strategies and enhanced situational awareness.
At the heart of this endeavour lies the Silvanus Project, an ambitious international collaboration aimed at developing ground robots capable of navigating fire fronts and gathering crucial data in real-time. Led by researchers from Data61’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies, this project represents a pioneering effort to address the inherent dangers associated with traditional firefighting methods.
Bushfires, fueled by factors such as vegetation density and weather conditions, can escalate rapidly, outpacing conventional firefighting techniques. To stay ahead of the inferno, firefighters require accurate information about fire location, direction of spread, and potential hazards. However, obtaining such data often entails placing personnel in hazardous environments, risking their safety in the process.
Drones have emerged as a promising tool for aerial reconnaissance, offering valuable insights into fire behaviour from above. However, their effectiveness is limited by factors such as smoke interference, high winds, and restricted flight times. Recognising these limitations, researchers turned their focus to ground-based solutions, envisioning robots capable of operating in the most challenging of conditions.
The ground robots developed as part of the Silvanus Project are equipped with advanced sensors and navigation systems, allowing them to traverse rugged terrain and navigate through smoke and debris. Some robots are designed to move on legs, mimicking the mobility of insects, while others utilise tracks for increased stability and manoeuvrability. These robots venture into the heart of the fire, gathering critical data such as fire intensity, fuel availability, and environmental conditions.
During a demonstration conducted for fire service representatives and researchers, the capabilities of these ground robots were showcased, highlighting their potential to transform firefighting operations. With the ability to transmit data in real-time to a cloud-based platform, these robots provide firefighters with unprecedented situational awareness, enabling more informed decision-making and proactive firefighting strategies.
Senior experimental scientist Tom Lowe emphasises the significance of these ground robots in enhancing firefighter safety and operational effectiveness. By deploying robots into areas deemed too hazardous for human intervention, firefighters can access vital information without exposing themselves to unnecessary risks. Furthermore, the integration of remote sensing technologies allows robots to assess vegetation density and predict fuel availability, further aiding in fire suppression efforts.
While the technology is still in the developmental stage, researchers are optimistic about its potential impact on future firefighting practices. Navinda Kottege, Cyber-Physical Systems Research Director, underscores the life-saving potential of ground robots, particularly in high-risk firefighting scenarios where human intervention may be impractical or unsafe.
The Silvanus Project represents a collaborative effort involving researchers from across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, and Brazil, united in their mission to develop innovative solutions for forest management and fire prevention. By harnessing the power of robotics and cutting-edge technologies, this initiative aims to bolster preparedness and response capabilities, ultimately saving lives and protecting communities from the devastating impact of bushfires.
As ground robots continue to evolve and mature, fueled by ongoing research and international collaboration, the vision of leveraging technology to mitigate the impact of bushfires grows ever closer to reality. With each technological advancement, firefighters gain new tools and capabilities to confront one of nature’s most formidable adversaries, ensuring a safer and more resilient future for all.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of technological innovation, promising transformative solutions to complex challenges across various domains. Recognising its potential to revolutionise industries and improve societal well-being, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has inaugurated the NUS AI Institute (NAII). Led by Professor Mohan Kankanhalli, NAII aims to accelerate AI research and its practical applications, fostering collaboration, innovation, and societal impact.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, AI has emerged as a powerful tool with the capacity to reshape diverse sectors, ranging from healthcare to finance, education, logistics, and beyond. The establishment of NAII underscores NUS’s commitment to harnessing AI for the greater good, addressing critical issues facing Singapore and the global community.
At the core of NAII’s mission is the advancement of fundamental AI research, aimed at pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities and exploring novel applications across various domains. Through foundational research initiatives, scientists at NAII will tackle complex AI problems, spanning hardware and software systems, AI theory, responsible AI, reasoning AI, and resource-efficient AI. By delving into these areas, the institute seeks to develop cutting-edge AI technologies that address real-world challenges and drive innovation.
Moreover, NAII will prioritise research into the ethical and societal implications of AI, aiming to develop robust governance frameworks that ensure responsible AI development and deployment. This includes examining issues related to transparency, accountability, and ethical decision-making in AI systems. By fostering dialogue and research on AI ethics and governance, NAII aims to guide the responsible use of AI technology and mitigate potential risks.
In addition to foundational research, NAII will spearhead applied research initiatives, focusing on developing AI-driven solutions for specific application domains. Collaborating with experts from diverse fields, including healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, finance, urban sustainability, and education, the institute will tackle pressing challenges and explore opportunities for AI-driven innovation. From optimising supply chains to improving healthcare outcomes and enhancing urban infrastructure, NAII’s applied research efforts aim to deliver tangible benefits to society.
Furthermore, NAII will serve as a hub for AI talent development, providing comprehensive education and training programs for students, professionals, and policymakers. By offering hands-on learning experiences and internships, the institute seeks to nurture the next generation of AI leaders and entrepreneurs, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to drive innovation in AI.
To support its research and educational endeavours, NUS has allocated significant resources to NAII, including external research grants and institutional funding. Moreover, the institute will collaborate closely with government agencies and industry partners to amplify its impact and drive innovation. Strategic partnerships with leading companies such as IBM and Google Cloud will enable NAII to leverage industry expertise and resources, accelerating the translation of research outcomes into real-world applications.
In alignment with Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE) strategy, NAII aims to contribute to the nation’s AI ecosystem by fostering collaboration, innovation, and talent development. By positioning NUS as a global leader in AI research and application, the institute seeks to drive positive societal change and economic growth.
The establishment of NAII represents a significant milestone in NUS’s journey towards harnessing the power of AI for societal benefit. Through cutting-edge research, education, and collaboration, the institute aims to unlock the full potential of AI and pave the way for a more innovative, sustainable, and inclusive future. With its interdisciplinary approach and commitment to excellence, NAII is poised to make a lasting impact on Singapore and the global AI landscape.
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The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has reached a significant milestone with its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, VNPT eKYC, logging over 1 billion user authentication requests. This accomplishment solidifies VNPT’s position as a pioneer in electronic identification and verification solutions within Vietnam.
Since its inception, VNPT eKYC has been at the forefront of electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) services for over five years, serving a diverse range of clients including banks, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, and e-commerce entities. With over 100 organisations utilising its services, VNPT eKYC has facilitated electronic identification for more than 40 million individuals across the country.
On average, the VNPT eKYC system processes an impressive 600,000 requests daily, with peak days witnessing over a million requests being handled seamlessly. This demonstrates the platform’s robustness and reliability in managing high volumes of authentication transactions efficiently.
The significance of VNPT eKYC extends beyond its technological capabilities, particularly in the context of evolving regulatory requirements. The State Bank of Vietnam’s decision mandating biometric authentication for transactions exceeding 10 million VND (approximately 416 USD) and other significant transactions from July 1, 2024, underscores the critical role of advanced authentication solutions like VNPT eKYC in ensuring compliance and security in financial transactions.
Moreover, the platform’s success highlights the increasing importance of domestically developed solutions in the banking and financial sector. Domestic solutions such as VNPT eKYC offer several advantages, including rapid implementation, cost-effectiveness, adherence to global technology standards, scalability, and high readiness to meet evolving regulatory requirements.
Central to the effectiveness of VNPT eKYC is its advanced AI models, which enable the verification of facial biometric data with an impressive accuracy rate of up to 99.99%. This high level of accuracy not only enhances the security of authentication processes but also contributes to building trust and confidence among users and regulatory authorities.
As Vietnam’s digital economy continues to grow and evolve, the role of advanced authentication and verification solutions like VNPT eKYC becomes increasingly indispensable. Beyond facilitating seamless and secure electronic transactions, these solutions contribute to enhancing the overall digital infrastructure and ecosystem of the country, paving the way for further innovation and economic growth.
Looking ahead, VNPT remains committed to advancing its AI platform and expanding its capabilities to meet the evolving needs of its clients and the regulatory landscape. With a strong focus on innovation, reliability, and security, VNPT eKYC is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of electronic identification and verification in Vietnam’s dynamic digital economy.
VNPT’s achievement of logging over 1 billion authentication requests with its AI platform, VNPT eKYC, marks a significant milestone in Vietnam’s journey towards digital transformation.
Amid a swiftly changing global landscape, Vietnam emerges as a frontrunner in a digital revolution, strategically positioned to harness technology’s transformative power for economic progress and societal development.
It is embracing its digital transformation journey, highlighting collaborative efforts to drive the nation’s digital transformation. The nation’s digital technology industry aims to propel Vietnam towards high-income status by 2045 through technology mastery, innovation, and indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
Moreover, the nation is working to harmonise its regulations, streamline laws, and promote consistency in its legal framework to foster a more favourable and appealing cyber environment.
As the country continues to embrace technology-driven solutions to address emerging challenges, VNPT eKYC stands as a testament to the potential of domestic innovation in driving progress and excellence in the digital era.
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In a significant scientific breakthrough in a space sector, Dr Sarah Kessans has developed hardware designed to operate autonomously in orbit, transforming the study of protein crystallisation in microgravity. This technology provides scientists on Earth with unprecedented insights into protein behaviour, with far-reaching implications for developing more effective medicines and vaccines, among other applications.
Minister for Space Dr Megan Collins lauds Dr Kessans’ research as an inspiring example of how space technology can drive innovation on Earth. This achievement follows the recent successful launch of MethaneSAT, a satellite designed to track and monitor global emissions from space, highlighting the significant potential of space technology in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges while bolstering our globally competitive space sector.
The MethaneSAT satellite will be equipped with a highly sensitive spectrometre that can detect concentrations as low as two parts per billion, and it will have high-spatial resolution coupled with a broad, 200-kilometre view path, allowing it to quantify even small emission sources over large areas.
Dr Kessans’ research culminated in successfully launching her hardware on a rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, USA. This mission also included protein experiments from leading New Zealand universities, including Canterbury, Otago, Victoria, and Waikato, showcasing the collaborative efforts of the country’s academic institutions in advancing space science and technology.
The launch of Dr Kessans’ project results from a strategic agreement between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the US commercial space company Axiom Space. This partnership aims to facilitate New Zealand researchers’ advancement in space science and technology, fostering innovation and driving collaboration between academia, government, and private enterprise.
Dr Kessans’ project has also received government funding for further development through the MBIE-administered Endeavour Fund, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and innovation in the space sector. This collaborative effort between academia, government, and private enterprise is a testament to New Zealand’s growing presence in the global space economy, positioning the country as a key player in space research and technology development.
Previously, New Zealand had collaborated with several countries, including Australia, to advance space research, as reported by OpenGov. The collaboration between SmartSat and the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) is an important development. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two entities aims to accelerate the growth and technological advancement of the Australian and New Zealand space industries, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of space exploration and innovation in the Australasian region.
This partnership is underpinned by a shared commitment to fostering innovation, driving research and development (R&D), and nurturing a skilled workforce capable of propelling technological breakthroughs in the space sector. The MoU, ceremoniously signed at the NZSA headquarters in Wellington, signifies a strategic alignment between SmartSat and NZSA to leverage their combined resources and expertise.
At the core of this collaboration, it is designated to support joint research initiatives in three key technological domains: Earth Observation, Space Situational Awareness, and Optical Communications. These areas represent the forefront of space exploration, offering immense potential to revolutionise humanity’s perception and interaction with the cosmos.
Minister Judith Collins, New Zealand’s Minister for Space, praised the new agreement as a testament to the enduring collaboration between Australia and New Zealand in space exploration. In a statement on her official website, she reiterated her commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration, recognising the transformative potential of space technology in addressing global challenges.
Minister Collins reaffirmed the government’s dedication to developing the country’s space sector, promoting innovation, and strengthening partnerships with the New Zealand research community, international space agencies, and commercial collaborators. These collaborative approaches underscore New Zealand’s commitment to advancing space science and technology to benefit society and the economy, paving the way for future breakthroughs in the field.