Operational Technology Cybersecurity Masterplan launched by Singapore Government

• Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has launched an Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Masterplan.
• This masterplan is aimed at improving the security of Singapore’s essential service sectors, mitigate cyber threats aimed at OT, and enhance industry partnerships.

The backdrop

The interconnected devices and computers that control physical processes are known as Operation Technology (OT). Common examples include traffic lights, electricity grid in appliances, and signalling systems for trains.

Threat actors have been observed to be capable of compromising IT systems, and subsequently the connected OT systems.

The masterplan focuses on boosting the factors of People, Processes, and Technology through four thrusts:

• Improve OT cybersecurity training
• Facilitate the sharing of information by setting up an OT Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Analysis Centre
• Enhance existing OT cybersecurity policies and processes
• Adopt innovative technologies for system resilience through various measures including setting up Security Operation Centers.

Objectives of the masterplan

Primarily for the Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) owners who operate OT systems, the masterplan has the following objectives:

• Create awareness about the challenges OT stakeholders face and provide cybersecurity solutions.
• Bring together multiple OT cybersecurity initiatives to provide better defense and recovery mechanisms for cyberattacks.
• Guide the development of cybersecurity initiatives for a secure OT environment.

“CII sectors delivering essential services are facing greater cyber threats today. There is a need to focus efforts on safeguarding CII sectors provisioning essential services. We hope that with the timely publication of the OT Cybersecurity Masterplan, it can drive efforts to address some of the people, process and technology challenges faced by CII sectors operating OT systems,” Lim Thian Chin, Director, Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), Cyber Security Agency of Singapore.