National cyber security programme

SINGAPORE - The wave of digitalisation sweeping across businesses and impacting individuals alike amid the Covid-19 pandemic underscores the increasing importance of staying safe online. Against this backdrop, cyber safety concerns will be the focus of discussion in the upcoming webinar organised by The Straits Times, to be held from 12.30pm to 2pm on Dec 9. The Digitalisation and Cyber security webinar, free for all ST readers, is the third in the ST Reset 2021 webinar series that aims to put the pressing issues of the day in context for readers. Figures from the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) in November showed that cyber attacks have intensified in the first 10 months of this year. There were 61 ransomware attacks on businesses from January to last month (Oct), almost double the 35 cases for the whole of last year. Ransomware is malware that infects unprotected computers and locks them down with a note demanding ransom. Tellingly, the spike in the … [Read more...] about Find out how to stay safe in the digital age in ST webinar on Dec 9

SINGAPORE: More jobs will be available in growth areas like cloud computing and artificial intelligence as Singapore accelerates the creation of jobs in the ICT sector and across the economy, said Information and Communications Minister S Iswaran on Wednesday (Aug 26). The jobs for both fresh graduates and mid-career professionals will be in areas like cybersecurity, data analytics, software and network engineering, as well as executive roles in business transformation for companies going digital, Mr Iswaran said. President Halimah Yacob said on Monday that securing jobs is a priority for the Government over the next few years amid the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. READ: Salary criteria for Employment Passes and S Passes will be raised: MOM READ: Expect more investments and ‘good jobs’ for Singaporeans despite COVID-19: Chan Chun Sing The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) will be ramping up placements, traineeships and skills … [Read more...] about More tech jobs to come as MCI steps up job creation for fresh graduates, mid-career professionals

SINGAPORE: In the world of online multiplayer video game Defence of the Ancients (DOTA), Gondar is the infamous bounty hunter who infiltrates rebel terrain to bring criminals to justice – all while being invisible. The tales of Gondar’s prowess stretch on with each feat more impressive than the last, and for the right price, even the most devious assassin may find fear in the shadows. Drawing parallels to today’s world, could the most effective cybersecurity allies come in the form of hackers themselves? FRIEND OR FOE? Going back a chapter, the rapidly growing number of hackers fall into two main camps working on opposing ends of the law: White hats and black hats. The former are more commonly known as ethical hackers while the latter serve to wreak havoc for personal gain, and in some cases to fuel a wider hacktivist agenda – using tech know-how to protest against perceived political, legal, or societal injustices. Think of the vulnerability market as a worldwide … [Read more...] about Commentary: A safer online playground powered by hackers

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday (Feb 2) said Singapore's overall crime rate rose last year due to a rise in scam cases, although physical crimes such as housebreaking fell. In an overview of Singapore's safety and security situation in 2020, MHA said online scams saw a "significant increase". It attributed the increase to more Singaporeans staying home because of the COVID-19 situation and carrying out more activities and transactions online. E-commerce scams continued to rank first among the scam types in Singapore, with a "significant number" of cases reported during the "circuit breaker" period. READ: Fake gambling platform scam cases up by 18 times, investment scams more than double READ: Commentary: The year hackers and scammers exploited our COVID-19 fears to cheat us Social media impersonation scams and phishing scams also saw significant increases, while loan scam cases also rose. However, the number of physical crimes fell, such … [Read more...] about Singapore’s crime rate up in 2020 amid rise in scam cases