Forum: Protecting personal data should take priority over efficiency and AI adoption
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I refer to the article “Missed security update led to 9½-hour public healthcare service outage on Oct 13” (Nov 3).
Verifying updates and ensuring effective recovery are basic responsibilities. This, alongside other recent incidents like the Alliance Medinet data breach and National Cancer Centre Singapore e-mail lapse, raises concerns about our ability to safeguard citizens’ sensitive information.
No patient data compromise was reported in the public healthcare service outage.
But if existing safeguards are inconsistently executed, how ready are organisations for the additional connections, permissions and complexity that AI can introduce?
ISO standards, AI verification tools and Health Ministry guidelines need effective implementation. Their presence alone cannot assure citizens that their information is protected.
Before expanding AI access to sensitive systems, organisations should demonstrate that basic controls work through independent testing, verified corrective action and clear accountability. Shared infrastructure must also have recovery arrangements that withstand common failures.
Where readiness is insufficient, deployment should be narrowed or delayed. Citizens entrust essential services with information they cannot readily take back once exposed.
Protecting it must take priority over efficiency and AI adoption.
Chong Ryh Huei