Singapore plans on establishing a regional cyber security training centre with an initial investment of $30 million over a five year period, it has been disclosed.
The ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE) is a bold initiative that is scheduled to become operational in 2019.
It aims to directly elevate the regions cyber security profession by training security talent to take on industry roles and directly tackle the regions skills shortage.
The ASCCE aims to encompass three key functions, namely, a cyber think-thank and training centre, a computer emergency response team (CERT) centre, and cyber range training centre.
The cyber think-thank and training centre aims to conduct research and provide training in such areas as international law, cyber strategy, cyber conflict, legislation, cyber norms and other cyber security policy issues.
On the other hand, the CERT centre looks to provide training in addition to provide a platform for the exchange of cyber threat and attack-related information and best practices.
The final function is that of a cyber range training centre which will deliver virtual cyber defence training and exercises for all ASEAN member states.
The ASCCE is an extension of the ASEAN Cyber Capacity Programme (ACCP), which Singapore launched in 2016 with an investment of $10 million, which has so far trained more than 140 director-level officials on topics ranging from cyber strategy development and legislation, to incident response.
“Under the ACCP’s Industrial Attachment Programme, every AMS has been invited to send two officers to Singapore for training in Security Operations Centre (SOC) set-up and management,” said S Iswaran, minister for communications and information, at the ASEAN ministerial conference on cyber security in Singapore.
Furthermore, Australia, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States have indicated a keen interest in working with Singapore to develop and deliver programmes under the ASCCE.
“ASEAN has made a concerted effort to rise to the evolving cybersecurity challenge,” said Iswaran. “We are much more coordinated than before, and each ASEAN member state has also taken concrete steps to move forward."
“Singapore, on its part, stands ready to work with our ASEAN partners to ensure a rules-based order for cyberspace, in order to preserve a meaningful stake in the ASEAN digital economy for our citizens."
