In 2019, the finance minister of Singapore invested around $15.5 billion in the city to protect and support diplomacy efforts. But, according to him, not only violent activities took place, but cyber threats were also increasing in Singapore.
Growing technology
With the increase in tech knowledge, people have misused it as well to attack with great intensity and more complicated tactics. Therefore, it was essential to stay up close with these things and build strength to fight them back. The minister stated that both private and public sectors have the main role to play.
Digital defence
As technology has become an integral part of many countries, Singapore aimed to make it a Smart Nation. Now, even the digital defence Singapore has been incorporated as the 6th pillar in the defence. Including the elements, digital defence comprises individuals, groups, businesses, and even the government.
The six pillars
Being the sixth pillar in the total defence of Singapore, the other five go hand in hand, namely-
- Military defence
- Civil defence
- Economic defence
- Social defence
- Psychological defence
- Digital defence
The mantra
Digital defence Singapore has three things to consider: being secure, being alert, and being responsible. It involves Singaporeans preaching good cybersecurity habits, guarding against false news, and considering it a threat when it comes to community.
- Be secure- with the growing frauds, everyone needs to watch out and protect themselves. They should be aware of the issues of cybersecurity and take personal charge of them. An example would be to create smart passwords or IDs for social media, keep updating your virus system, and be careful with portraying financial information online.
Be alert: Singaporeans need to check with credible sources such as government and official sources for the reports. They can use factually to verify the news. It’s important to know how this fake news is created and how you can stop them by the digital defence in Singapore.
Be responsible- they need to understand that each one impacts society. Build digital literacy in the community. It’s not only to be selfish for yourself but also to reach out to friends, families for help if needed. Teaching them how to participate in resources and activities actively will give them a lot of insight.
Finally, to sum up, as the government is giving out the share for being protected, as individuals its important to spare some time and gain learnings about this with peers.
