In a significant upgrade of its national security vision, Singapore will introduce digital defence as the sixth pillar of its Total Defence framework. The move represents a substantial addition to the security calculus whose trajectory has helped ensure the country's security, unity and independence. Indeed, its singularity is emphasised by the fact that this is the first time that a new pillar has been added to the framework which launched 35 years ago. In a move that should also buttress the sixth pillar, the Ministry of Defence is on a recruitment drive for cyber-security specialists.

The five original pillars of Total Defence are comprehensive: military defence is meant to defend Singapore when it is attacked or to deter foreign intervention; civil defence involves taking care of family, friends and other people in times of crisis; economic defence focuses on the need to create an economy that is robust enough to sustain Singapore through challenges and national emergencies; social defence seeks to enlarge the space of harmony among people of all races and religions; and psychological defence underscores the importance of the willed resilience of Singaporeans that is crucial in overcoming a crisis.