Powers given to CSA head shore up S'pore's cyber defences

SOME misgivings have been expressed over Singapore's new cyber security law with regard to the apparent concentration of power in the hands of the Cyber Security Commissioner, who is responsible for safeguarding the Republic's cyber space.

It needs to be stated clearly that such a set-up is necessary given the nature of the beast we are dealing with. Malicious code writing and hacking are now a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise, with top cyber experts joining the bandwagon. There is also the spectre of rogue governments using the cyber domain as a new war front. With the threat growing and evolving exponentially, Singapore needs to have a robust command-and-control structure in place to respond in a fast and effective manner when a major attack occurs.

In Parliament recently, several MPs referred to the broad investigative powers of the Commissioner. Will these powers curtail innovation or intrude into personal privacy? Will the powers be used judiciously? To be sure, these are legitimate concerns. And here, as the Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim has pointed out, there are several built-in limits to the investigative powers of the Commissioner.