Individuals must play their part for Digital Defence in Singapore

Source: Tableau. Minister Maliki addresses the audience.

Guest-of-honour and keynote speaker Singapore Senior Minister of State for Defence & Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, discussed the use of data in the public service, as well as digital defence in a digital age at Tableau Software’s 5^th annual Public Sector Day. 

In his speech the minister addressed the inter-connectedness brought about by digital technology, which has made us more vulnerable to cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and fake news. He outlined examples of the economic damage, as well as the social and political disruption, that such scourges have had internationally and domestically, and called on all Singaporeans to recognise their role as the first line of defence against threats. 

According to Minister Maliki, the government is building up data science and analytics capabilities. "At the launch of the Digital Government Blueprint last year, we committed to training 20,000 Public Service Officers in data skills by 2023. Through building up the skills of our people, the Public Service will work towards having a digitally-confident workforce, employed in digitally-enabled workplaces," he said.
 

He also touched on how Digital Defence has been added to the Total Defence pillars. Other government-led initiatives include the data.gov.sg portal where datasets from 70 public agencies are made available to all.

"Digital Defence means being vigilant against threats from the digital domain, and being ready to respond to cyberattacks and disinformation. We must have effective recovery plans to be resilient in the face of cyberattacks and challenges. The Singapore government has taken steps to safeguard our networks and systems through implementing the Cybersecurity Act and building up a strong core of cybersecurity professionals. We have also initiated campaigns to enhance digital literacy and raise Singaporeans’ awareness of the threat of disinformation," he noted.

On the individual level, the minister called for inclusivity and proactiveness.  "At the individual level, you can contribute to Digital Defence by practicing good cyberhygiene to protect your personal and work-related data. Also, when encountering questionable information online, you should also use good judgement to identify efforts to spread untruths and actively correct any deliberate online falsehoods," he advised.

"All Singaporeans, as individuals, community groups, and businesses, need to recognise that we are the first line of defence against such threats from the digital domain."

Finally, he asked the audience to encourage and enable the less digitally-savvy to acquire basic digital skills, and to remember that our society is multilingual. "It is only when we cater to the diverse needs of our citizens, that can we stride into the digital age together, as a nation," he said.  

Leslie Ong, Country Manager, Southeast Asia, Tableau Software, commented: "Businesses have known for some time that data holds the key to success, and now the Singapore government is leading by example to show how analytics can lead to real public benefit and social impact. To make this happen, the government is creating communities of data users across departments to help make the public sector more responsive and mission-ready. 

"Public-private partnerships will help to equip public servants with the right skills and tools for the job, and by working with Tableau, the government is putting easy-to-use visual analytics in the hands of public servants, meaning more people can tap data’s vast potential. We are excited to see where this potential takes us and what can be achieved for the good of the nation.”

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