Fortinet forges agreements with public sector, academic institution in Singapore

Source: Fortinet. Dr Eng from TP (left) with Raman from Fortinet shake hands after the MoU signing ceremony.

Fortinet, the global cybersecurity provider driving the convergence of networking and security, has signed a memorandum of collaboration (MoC) with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). By combining Fortinet's extensive cybersecurity expertise with CSA's role in protecting Singapore’s cyberspace, this partnership aims to evaluate potential improvements in the nation's ability to respond to and mitigate cyberthreats, Fortinet said.

The MoC outlines several key areas of collaboration, including:

Cyberthreat intelligence-sharing

Fortinet will provide CSA with critical threat intelligence, including early warnings on new vulnerabilities and emerging threats. This proactive sharing will enable CSA to enhance Singapore’s cybersecurity posture and respond swiftly to potential threats.

Detection engineering and threat hunting

Fortinet and CSA will explore collaboration to enhance Singapore’s capabilities in detection engineering and threat hunting. 

Threat landscape insights

Fortinet will share aggregated statistical data and insights about the cybersecurity landscape, as well as provide CSA with relevant information to protect critical information infrastructure and strengthen the nation's cyberdefences. 

Dan Yock Hau, Assistant Chief Executive (National Cyber Resilience) of CSA said: “With cyberthreats evolving and growing at a rapid pace, it is imperative that we stay ahead by building capabilities and by gathering and sharing valuable threat intelligence. To do this, we need to work with a multitude of strong industry partners such as Fortinet, so that we can collectively enhance Singapore’s ability to deal with cyberthreats.”

Said Vishak Raman, VP of Sales for India, SAARC, SEA, and ANZ, Fortinet: “Singapore continues to face a significant number of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, financial sectors, and personal data of citizens. Cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated, using tactics such as generative AI to enhance their success rate. 

"In this evolving threat landscape, our collaboration with CSA is crucial. By exploring opportunities for sharing threat intelligence and enhancing our detection and response capabilities, we aim to fortify Singapore's defences and enhance Singapore's cybersecurity capabilities. This partnership underscores our commitment to protecting Singapore's digital landscape and maintaining the security and resilience of our nation's cyberspace.”

Fortinet signed a separate agreement in the same timeframe, with Singapore's Temasek Polytechnic (TP). The memorandum of understanding (MoU) sees TP students benefit from Fortinet’s cybersecurity training and certification programme.

Through this partnership, Fortinet’s certification training curriculum will be included in the cybersecurity courses offered by TP's School of Informatics & IT. This is part of TP’s efforts to provide students with real-world learning programmes and professional opportunities beyond the classroom through collaborations and a curriculum developed with industry partners.

In addition, the Fortinet Network Security Expert certification training will be accessible to faculty staff and students across a range of topics such as network and cloud security, security operations, security analytics and threat intelligence. Students will also have an opportunity to learn from Fortinet’s experts through guest lectures held at TP. Fortinet-certified instructors will also deliver guidance to students through case studies and hands-on experiences, completed with real-world exercises.

This academic partner programme is designed to develop cyber professionals who are well-equipped to meet the demands of the industry and to address the shortage of cybersecurity talent in Singapore and beyond. According to the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, 87% of organisational leaders said they experienced one or more breaches, with 70% of them partially attributing the breach to the lack of cybersecurity skills, and 72% indicated that it is difficult to find candidates with right technology-focused certifications.

In addition, Fortinet and TP will set up an Operational Technology Security Laboratory to serve as a sandbox for joint projects with educational and research purposes.

Dr Eng Pin Kwang, Senior Director, CIO and Chief Data Officer, Temasek Polytechnic said: “Our partnership with Fortinet demonstrates our commitment to providing education that meets today’s industry demands while ensuring our staff remain updated with industry practices. Through this collaboration, we aim to empower our students with the necessary skillsets and knowledge to navigate an increasingly digital world and contribute significantly to building cyber resilience in Singapore and beyond.”

“The collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic is part of Fortinet’s on-going efforts to address the shortage of cybersecurity talent in the workforce. The need for a robust pipeline of cybersecurity talent is more crucial than ever. By providing students with access to our industry-recognised training and certification programmes, we aim to equip them with the necessary skills and credentials to tackle the ever-worsening cyber landscape and succeed as cybersecurity professionals in their careers," said Raman. 

"This partnership is in line with our commitment to support Singapore in developing the right talent that is needed to ensure that businesses are better equipped to defend against cyberthreats and strengthen the nation’s digital resilience.”