MINDEF to recruit 300 cybersecurity experts, opens cyber training school

[The_King]

SINGAPORE: More cybersecurity experts will be recruited to step up defences in light of increasing threats, MINDEF said on Wednesday (Feb 20).

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) aims to recruit about 300 cybersecurity experts through two new schemes - one for military personnel and one for non-uniformed professionals - to take up various roles in the ministry's cyber entities.

 

Part of their training will also be carried out at a new cyber defence school, which opened on Wednesday afternoon.

 

SHORTAGE OF CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS

 

Personnel hired under the two new cyber expert schemes will undergo up to 20 weeks of training at the newly launched Cyber Defence School at Stagmont Camp. 

The school will also train full time national servicemen in cyber defence skills. It will serve as the centre for cyber defence training and education across MINDEF, and will conduct cybersecurity workshops for MINDEF personnel.

Serene Ong, a former cyber analyst, was recruited by MINDEF last year to become a Defence Cyber Expert (DCX). She performs specialised operational roles in areas such as cyber incident response and network monitoring.

"Currently there is a shortage of cybersecurity professionals around the world,” Ms Ong said. “So this DCX scheme can help to widen the pool of candidates by including people from various different backgrounds even if they do not have background in computer science or computer engineering."

Serene will work together with military personnel like ME4 S Subash. 

He has been recruited into the SAF Command, Control, Communications and Computer Expert (C4X) vocation, specialising in military cyber operations.

"I will ensure that we bring in the latest technologies to ensure that we allow our assault monitoring teams to perform monitoring with the latest capabilities and also the cyber incident responders to have the right equipment to actually perform their tasks," he said.

ENSURING SINGAPORE IS OPERATIONALLY READY

These new initiatives follow the recent launch of Digital Defenceas the sixth pillar of Total Defence.

Members of Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) were briefed on the ministry's cyber defence set-up during their visit to Stagmont Camp, hosted by Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How. (Photo: Ahmad Khan)

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How said the move will help defend Singapore's systems, making it "resilient against attacks" and will protect the country's sovereignty. 

Mr Heng was visiting the Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre (CyTEC) at Stagmont Camp together with Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) members. 

They were briefed on MINDEF's cyber defence set-up and were given a tour of the training facility, where advanced cyber defence training and exercises are conducted.

 

Source: CNA/aa(mi)