National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign of Singapore: Better Cyber Safe than Sorry

The 4th Edition National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign of Singapore is here to raise awareness and encourage adoption of clean cyber practices.

Better Cyber Safe than Sorry

According to a new government survey, more people in Singapore will be the prey of cybercriminals in 2020. Although a lot of people are now aware of scams and fraudulent activities happening with their dangers and consequences, many still think that they are unlikely to get hit or become a victim of these attacks. 

According to the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s (CSA) Cybersecurity Awareness Survey that was released on June 28, 2021, nearly 4 in 10 people, or 37 per cent, reported that they became a victim of a cyber-attack last year. This is a jump from the 2019 recorded data of 28%.

There is no telling who will be the next target of these cybercriminals. With people still thinking that it is unlikely for them to get hit, they become prone and open for cyber-attacks in the future. 

With this, to encourage more people to adopt better cyber practices and become more aware of the threats and its impending consequences, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore launched the “Better Cyber Safe than Sorry” national cyber-security awareness campaign.

Also Read: Battling Cyber Threats in 4 Simple Ways

What is the national cybersecurity awareness campaign?

This year’s  National Cyber-Security Awareness Campaign is the 4th Edition awareness campaign launched by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). This is a campaign that continues to focus on raising awareness over cyber-attacks and driving the adoption of four (4) good security practices:

• spotting signs of phishing;
• updating computer software;
• use of strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication (2FA); and
• use of anti-virus software.

The national cyber-security awareness campaign focuses on drawing parallels between the everyday life of each Singaporean and these four cybersecurity practices.

As part of the campaign and to further its reach, the Cyber Security Agency is partnering with online shopping platform Shopee, supermarket chain FairPrice, and online marketplace Carousell; where Cyber-security awareness materials will be put up in 150 FairPrice outlets and its digital platforms, and on the Shopee and Carousell apps as well. Furthermore, the CSA will also utilize bus stop ads and bus wraps, social media platforms, and television advertisements to reach out to the public 

Why is the national cybersecurity awareness campaign important?

A lot of Singaporeans encounter and have already been a victim of cyber-attacks over the past years, and as the record shows, it has been increasing brought by the COVID-19 pandemic since a lot of people’s activities are heavy on their digital phones or other digital devices. With this, it is really important to stress awareness over these kinds of matters to prevent and lessen those who will suffer from the cyber-attack aftermath. 

Although it has been shown in the survey that a lot of Singaporeans are very aware of what to avoid in their emails, and are able to identify phishing and other related scams, still, a lot of people believe that being hit by these kinds of attacks are impossible. With this, awareness and adoption to good cyber hygiene must be highlighted to keep safe from the harms of cyber vulnerability.

Mr David Koh, Chief Executive, CSA, says:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many more of our day-to-day activities being conducted digitally. It is important that we are all aware of and adopt good cyber hygiene to stay safe online in light of our greater digital footprint. While our survey findings showed that there has been improvement in terms of awareness, many respondents continue to believe that they would not be a target of cyber criminals. More needs to be done to increase adoption levels, and CSA is delighted to work with new partners to further extend the reach of our campaign to drive awareness and adoption of good cyber practices,” 

Mr David Koh

Indeed, with the increase of digital footprint brough by the pandemic, it is wise to be more vigilant and aware with scams and other fraudulent acts to prevent information breach and its consequences and effects. 

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