Hacking shows need for us to stand together

In the aftermath of the SingHealth hacking, I was surprised by the responses of some, asking the Health Ministry for assurances over the data it holds in order to restore full faith in the system.

Many cyber-security experts have explained that it is a matter of "when" such breaches will occur, no matter how secure a network is.

This brings to mind the familiar reminders from our Government regarding terrorism: It is not a matter of whether it will happen, but when it will happen.

As with a terrorist attack, the important thing in the aftermath of the SingHealth hacking is how, as a country, we can learn from the mistake and spring back with stronger defences and resilience.

No matter how prepared we are, it is virtually impossible to prevent any intrusion from happening, be it cyberspace or terrorism.

The only thing we can do is learn from past mistakes, put up better defences and try to stay ahead of the game to mitigate any potential damage when another incident occurs.

The last thing that we should be doing is to sow doubts over our own defences in the face of an external threat, and play into the hands of those with an axe to grind.

Seah Yam Meng

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