New cyberincident helpline promises triage callback within two hours

SINGAPORE – Organisations hit by cyberincidents can get a triage callback within two hours through a new helpline run by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

The free service aims to offer advice on containing cyberincidents and refer callers to specialists for further help, amid increasing cyberattacks and scams.

“For a small business, the first few hours after something goes wrong can be particularly difficult... Taking the right steps early can help contain an incident and manage its impact, but small and medium enterprises may not know where to start and who to turn to,” said Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How at the launch of the Cyber Incident Helpline at Singapore International Cyber Week on Oct 14.

“The goal is simple: to help businesses move quickly from uncertainty to action, respond effectively and recover with as little disruption as possible. Because when an incident happens, time matters,” he added.

Released on Oct 14, the second Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report found that almost nine in 10 organisations surveyed encountered at least one cybersecurity incident in 2025, up from eight in 10 in the first edition of the report in 2023.

The most commonly reported incidents were ransomware, compromised credentials and social engineering, according to the survey of more than 2,000 businesses and non-profit organisations in Singapore conducted between October and November 2025.

Tan said the helpline aims to guide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without dedicated cybersecurity staff or established incident response arrangements.

The survey report, released by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), showed a mixed picture of organisations’ ability to manage cyberthreats.

Compared with the first edition in 2023, fewer organisations reported business impacts from cyberincidents. For example, the proportion of businesses reporting incident response costs, business disruption and financial losses declined by 3.8, 3.1 and 2.7 percentage points, respectively.

However, progress in strengthening their defences was uneven. Adoption of measures to keep software and systems updated rose from 72% to 80%, while those to prepare for and respond to incidents fell from 76% to 73%.

A lack of expertise and resources continued to hinder efforts to strengthen defences.

Among businesses polled, 56% cited insufficient cybersecurity knowledge and experience as a barrier, while 37% cited a lack of manpower and resources.

For businesses unsure of what to do in the event of a cyberincident, the new helpline offers initial guidance. They can submit details of the incident at cyberresilience.sg or call 6890-9555 from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

A trained operator will assess the nature and urgency of the issue before a representative calls back to gather more information and recommend immediate steps to limit the incident’s spread and impact.

Businesses can seek advice on threats, including phishing, business e-mail compromise, malware and ransomware, unauthorised access and suspected data breaches. If specialist intervention is needed, they may receive a list of pre-approved cybersecurity providers to engage for remediation and recovery.

The helpline’s role is advisory: It does not investigate attacks, collect digital evidence, troubleshoot systems remotely or restore systems and data. Businesses remain responsible for choosing their service providers and reporting incidents to regulators or the authorities.

SBF vice-chairman and honorary treasurer Chin Wei Jia said the helpline is being supported by a dedicated cybersecurity team in the initial phase of its launch, and the foundation will monitor industry demand, utilisation patterns and operational requirements before any potential enhancements.

The service expands the work of the Cyber Resilience Centre, which SBF established in 2025 to help organisations prepare for cyberthreats through health clinics, workshops and exercises.

Challenges facing SMEs were also highlighted in CSA’s latest Singapore Cyber Landscape report released on June 30. It recorded 165 reported ransomware cases in 2025, up from 159 in 2024, with SMEs disproportionately affected because of their comparatively weaker cybersecurity capabilities and limited resources.

While that report examines broader cyberthreats and their implications for Singapore, the health survey focuses on local organisations’ experiences and defences.