As Singapore strives to be a vibrant smart nation, a new enemy has reared its ugly head and its defeat hinges critically on the country building a strong digital defence, Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran said yesterday.
Embedded in this defence is the vital role of Singaporeans, he added, noting that scammers have become more skilled at creating believable URLs and customised phishing messages.
Since last September, more than 90 victims have been deceived into giving their DBS Internet banking details on fraudulent websites.
But online scams are just one hostile force among various threats that include malicious cyber attacks, like the recent one on SingHealth, Singapore's largest cluster of healthcare institutions, as well as the widespread circulation of false rumours, such as fake claims about the disruption of a Thaipusam procession in January last year by a police officer and a member of the Hindu Endowments Board.
The scourge, which exists across the economy, government and society, has also prompted the introduction of a sixth pillar in Total Defence - that of digital defence, said Mr Iswaran, who is also Minister-in-charge of Cyber Security. He was speaking at an event to commemorate Total Defence.
The change is the first in 35 years since Total Defence was introduced in 1984 to underline the role of each citizen and the collective commitment to defend "our nation and our way of life".
Last October, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen hinted at the possible addition, and he confirmed the move in his annual Total Defence Day video message on Thursday.
Yesterday, Mr Iswaran took it a step further when he launched a digital defence campaign logo with the tagline "Be Secure, Alert, and Responsible Online", along with Senior Minister of State for Defence Maliki Osman.
The launch not only coincided with Total Defence Day - which falls on Feb 15 every year to remember the day in 1942 when the British surrendered to the Japanese during World War II - but it was also held in Fort Canning, as the British surrender took place in a bunker there.
The wartime years saw people being tortured by the Kempeitai police and suffering severe shortages, especially of food.
"These stark memories are a vivid reminder of the importance of building a strong Singapore Armed Forces and being prepared for emergencies," said Mr Iswaran.
They also underscore that defending includes building a strong economy, living harmoniously with people of all backgrounds and forging a resilient society with a strong shared Singapore identity.
These are all encapsulated in the five pillars of Total Defence: military, civil, economic, social and psychological.
Referring to the elusive nature of today's digital threats compared with conventional ones,Mr Iswaran warned: "It will only get more difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood, as artificial intelligence exacerbates the spread and seamlessness with which 'deep-fake' images and videos can be created."
In putting digital defence into action, the Singaporean's role cannot be overemphasised, he said.
"Ultimately, the individual citizen is on the front line of digital defence, and we each have a critical role to play by being secure, alert and responsible online."
At the event, Mr Iswaran also witnessed a ceremony where recruits of the Commando Training Institute were presented with their SAR-21 rifles in public for the first time.
He also announced a new initiative to support the digital defence pillar: A new cyber-security theme for the Infocomm Media Development Authority's Lab on Wheels programme, in which buses with hands-on activities aim to visit two secondary schools a week.
Students will learn how personal data can be extracted from social media accounts, how to create a strong password and get tips on identifying phishing e-mails.
