SINGAPORE
Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong (pictured) has launched a comprehensive review of data security practices across the island state’s Public Service.
The Prime Minister said the review would be completed by the end of November.
The move comes in the wake of a series of embarrassing security lapses, which Mr Lee said underlined the urgency of strengthening data security policies and practices in the public sector.
Early this year, the HIV-positive status of more than 14,000 people was leaked online, along with confidential information such as their identification numbers and contact details.
The Ministry of Health has also recently revealed several cases in which information was mishandled by IT vendors.
About 7,700 individuals received inaccurate health care and subsidies under the Community Health Assist Scheme last year due to an error in a computer system.
Separately, the personal information of more than 800,000 blood donors was exposed on the internet for more than nine weeks from 4 January before authorities were alerted to it by a cybersecurity expert.
The Public Sector Data Security Review Committee will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Teo Chee Hean, who is also Minister-in-Charge of Public Sector Data Governance.
It will include private sector representatives with expertise in data security and technology, as well as Ministers involved in Singapore’s Smart Nation program.
A press release from the Prime Minister’s Office said the Committee would review how the Government was securing and protecting citizens’ data from end-to-end, including the role of vendors and other authorised third parties.
The Committee will recommend technical measures, processes and capabilities to improve the Government’s protection of such data, as well as its response to incidents.
“This review will help to ensure that all public sector Agencies maintain the highest standards of data governance,” the press release said.
“This is essential to uphold public confidence and deliver a high quality of Public Service to our citizens through the use of data.”
Singapore, 2 April 2019
