Singapore's new cyber law, one step in many to make online safe

THE passage of the landmark Cybersecurity Bill in Parliament early this month marks an important milestone in Singapore's fight against cyber threats which range from petty criminal activities to the spectre of cyber espionage and terrorism.

Despite the obvious plus points of the new Act, it is important to keep in mind that it will not, by itself, deter future attacks on Singapore. What the Act does, commendably so, is provide a comprehensive mechanism to mitigate the damage caused by such attacks. Going after the perpetrators requires a global effort which is still a work in progress.

The Cybersecurity Act covers organisations that operate critical information infrastructure (CII). These include energy, telecoms, water, health, banking, transport and media sectors, among others. Each of these sectors is at potential risk due to automation and an attack on them could have serious impact on Singapore.