Sectors & markets
Singapore strengthens cybersecurity in the face of growing advanced threats
PHOTO: Opengovasia
Market Info | Tech & Service| Cybersecurity
Date: 29 July 2025
Region: ASEAN-O
Country: Singapore
Sector: Tech & Service
Sub-sector: Cybersecurity
Section: Market Trends
Theme: Digital Trust and Cybersecurity
At the Operational Technology Cybersecurity Expert Panel Forum (OTCEP) on July 29, 2025, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo reiterated the urgency of strengthening cybersecurity in operational systems. The event, which also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Cyber Security Agency (CSA), illustrates Singapore's growing role as a regional hub for digital trust.
Created in 2021 to raise awareness of specific cybersecurity issues, the forum saw participation jump from 90 experts at its first edition to more than 1,700 this year. The minister welcomed this mobilization, while highlighting the pressing challenges: "Threats are evolving rapidly, and the consequences for critical infrastructure can be severe."
The figures confirm the significant increase in cyber threats: cyber threat-related activities quadrupled between 2021 and 2024. These sophisticated attacks, carried out by organized groups, directly target strategic sectors and pose a major risk to the continuity of essential services.
To strengthen national resilience, Singapore is implementing several flagship measures. In addition to rolling out the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust labels, designed to support companies beyond simple legal obligations, new provisions now make it mandatory to report incidents suspected of being linked to APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats, a type of stealthy and continuous cyber hacking). These rules aim to ensure a rapid and coordinated response at the national level.
For the minister, cybersecurity is everyone's business: it can no longer be seen as a simple IT problem, but as a strategic responsibility that leaders and decision-makers must take on in the same way as performance or reputation.
With this strategy, Singapore confirms its ambition to become a global benchmark in digital trust, combining governance, innovation, and public-private cooperation.
