Singapore to Focus on International Collaboration with New Infocomm Security Roadmap

Singapore's cyber defence looks to be in good hands with the Singapore Government announcing the new five-year infocomm security roadmap (2008 – 2012) even as it embarks on the final year of the current three-year Infocomm Security Masterplan.

Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts highlighted the focus of the new Infocomm Security Masterplan (2008 – 2012), which will look at more international collaborations and secure Singapore's Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure

The new Infocomm Security Masterplan will build on existing efforts to collaborate with other governments to combat cyber threats. It will also secure Singapore's ultra high-speed and pervasive Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure (NGNII) to provide a secure and trusted environment for the creation of new value-added services such as location-based marketing, goods tracking and localised information services and the pervasive adoption of online services such as those in the areas of banking, healthcare and education.

Explaining the need to plan ahead for the new Infocomm Security Masterplan, Dr Balakrishnan said, "We cannot afford to be complacent, especially with new and dangerous threats evolving and growing at such an alarming rate. Instead of taking one step forward, we need to be many steps ahead in our efforts to combat cyber threats."

One outcome is the establishment of the Cyber-WatchCentre, which went 'live' last in March 2007. One of the first in Asia, the centre monitors cyber threats real-time and round-the-clock. By mid 2008, the centre will ensure end-to-end security for all public officers, allowing government agencies to better anticipate cyber attacks and respond to them speedily.

Mr Peter Ho, Head of Civil Service and Chairman of National Infocomm Security Committee, urged the public sector to set an example to the rest of the nation by working together and by adopting a pro-security mindset

Another instance is the collaboration with international partners, given the global nature of cyber threats. "For the past few years, Singapore has actively collaborated with overseas Computer Emergency Response Teams, where we engage in frequent exchanges of experiences and ideas in order to explore collaborations to curb cyber threats. We have also recently forged close relationships with the French," he said. Last June, Head of Civil Service and Chairman of National Infocomm Security Committee, Mr Peter Ho, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the French General Secretary of National Defence, Mr Francis Delon, to share information and assessments on cyber threats.

At the Infocomm Security Seminar 2007, Mr Peter Ho urged everyone to work together to keep Singapore's infocomm environment secure. "Every infocomm user has a role to play, such as the adoption of security practices in their online activities, and in their daily contact with infocomm devices. In the public sector, we have a responsibility to set an example to the rest of the nation by working together and by adopting a pro-security mindset," Mr Ho added.

• Learn about how the Singapore Government makes use of infocomm to create a secure and trusted online environment.

The Spam Control Act 2007 was passed in Parliament on 12 April 2007 and will come into effect shortly.

Consumers in Singapore will get a measure of protection from spam with the passing of the Spam Control Act 2007

It was developed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore (AGC), with inputs from the public, people and private sectors, over the last three years.

Dr Lee Boon Yang, the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts said in Parliament: "We are starting with a light-touch approach with more focus on industry self-regulation."

Unsolicited commercial messages will now have to carry the label in their subject headings, or be the first words to appear in a message to clearly mark it as an advertisement. Marketers would also have to provide a valid return contact for consumers to send a request to be taken off that mailing or distribution list.

Unsolicited commercial messages now have to carry an label to mark it as an advertisement

Consumers will get a measure of protection from spam this way. For one, they can set their e-mail filters to screen out such traffic. Or if it's a mobile message, would serve to immediately signal the SMS as spam.

Marketers - particularly those based in Singapore or who have operations here - who continue to spam the "Not Interested" group face potential financial penalties of between $25 for each electronic message sent, or up to $1 million.

The Spam Control Act is not a sure-fire way to fry all spam. Globally, similar laws have been introduced (for instance in the United States of America and Australia) but spam remains in the picture.

But as Dr Lee said: "As more countries enact legislation to deal with spam, the spammers will be on the lookout for new bases, new havens to operate from…we should not allow ourselves to inadvertently become a spammer's haven. A spam control law will signal our readiness to address the global problem of spam."

For more information:

It was television history in the making. Plucked from various schools, junior colleges and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in Singapore, twelve bright students pitted their knowledge and skills of all things infocomm-related against one another. The prize? The ultimate title of being crowned Singapore's first iWhiz and a coveted trip to meet key executives at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Seattle.

iWhiz participants Ms Olivia Chiu and Ms Fong Hui Fen make their presentations to the judges during one of the challenges

iWhiz – developed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) in collaboration with the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), the Singapore Computer Society and the Singapore Science Centre – is aimed at educating and exciting youths and students about the world of infocomm and the opportunities available.

The contestants were grouped into teams and put through several weeks of gruelling challenges and mind-boggling tests. These ranged from designing an online game for the ladies, battling for supremacy in a virtual battlefield, developing an innovative and creative application that makes use of 3G services in mobile technologies to building a 3G application in e-commerce. Hosted by infocomm-savvy artistes from MediaCorp TV:- Mr Julian Hee and Ms Tracy Tan, the game show had three competing teams named "Avatar", "Quadcore" and "UTech" trying to outdo each other in every episode to remain in the running.

By the end of Episode 9, only three competitors were left standing — Ms Olivia Chiu, Mr Tay Kang Xun, and Ms Fong Hui Fen. With the teams dissolved, competitors faced off in the final episode and Olivia emerged victorious.

More than just infocomm skills
The reality game show called for more than just infocomm technology skills and knowledge. "I believe I am the most vocal of all the contestants and I wasn't shy to ask questions. I also pick up skills and knowledge very quickly, which helped with challenges that I wasn't familiar with," said the cheerful Singapore Management University (SMU) undergraduate.

Judging is not an easy process, having to consider the merits of each participant. Here, the iWhiz judges weigh in on the results after a particularly difficult challenge

Creativity, quick thinking and adaptability were also important factors. In the very first episode, the three teams were tasked to create an online game for ladies, and Olivia came up with the idea for a Flash-based game for shopaholics. "Halfway through the game show, the teams were also dissolved and we had to switch groups. I got to know my new group quickly and things started moving again," she recalled.

In the end, her determination, persistence and hard work paid off. Olivia put her marketing skills to good use together with her newly acquired infocomm knowledge in the final episode. It involved integrating the Heeren Shopping Centre's Website with the nation-wide Wireless@SG network. The gutsy teenager actually managed to garner sponsorship from some of the stores. This surprised and impressed the judges, as she was the only contestant who had gotten some form of sponsorship.

iWhiz winner Olivia Chiu receives her prize from Mr Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant Chief Executive, IDA

"The last four contestants coming into the final two challenges were all potential winners," said Mr K C Lee, Chairman of the Infocomm Manpower Council and Chief Judge at iWhiz. "In the end, the judges chose Olivia because she has the right mix of infocomm competencies, people skills and resourcefulness. She also out-lasted most of the others and had a strong finish in a gruelling 10-challenge race. To me, Olivia won not because she was the most technically gifted, but because she was able to adapt and make the most out of the available resources, including her teammates."

He added, "Overall, the contestants are good. I must say the other two finalists are also worthy role models. In the end, we had to pick only one winner, but all who contested in this tough challenge are a hero to me!"

Said 18-year-old finalist Fong Hui Fen, "Before I joined iWhiz, my impression was that all I need to know about infocomm is programming, but I was wrong. Human relations and public speaking skills play a very big role too. Without it, no matter how good the end result of your work is, it will never get a chance to demonstrate its fullest potential."

Finalist Tay Kang Xun presents his website of the Heeren Shopping Centre to the project members, who provide feedback and advice on areas to improve on

21-year-old Tay Kang Xun, one of the three finalists, said: "I have gained competency in various software, such as Dreamweaver (for Website design) and Flash (for animation). Also, I've had an introduction to Java programming, which has aided me in one of my modules that I'm taking this semester (Object-Oriented Application and Development)."

"One aspect that is very dear to me is the business side of infocomm," he added. "I'm especially interested in exploring how to utilise infocomm to create competitive advantages for businesses."

From working with teammates on the various challenges, Olivia also left with some valuable lessons, having learnt about friendship, about working effectively as a team, about having fun despite all the stress. "If I can survive iWhiz, I can survive anything!" she quipped.

For more information:

• Visit the IDA website to read the detailed interviews with Olivia, Hui Fen and Kang Xun
• The Future is Infocomm. Be a Player. If you wish to find out more on how you can become a part of Singapore's infocomm talent, please visit talent.singaporeinfocomm.sg.