The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has rolled out three initiatives to further develop local cybersecurity talents.
The first initiative is the SG Cyber Leaders Programme. It seeks to grow a pool of world-class local cyber leaders who are familiar with the international best practices and innovative technologies to tackle ever-evolving cyber threats.
This will be achieved through the new Strategic Leadership Programme, communities of practices and study trips to expose participants to global best practices and technologies.
The topics covered under the Strategic Leadership Programme will equip them with the essential skills and strategic knowledge to hone cybersecurity leadership and drive their organisations’ cybersecurity strategy and posture.
Examples of the topics include Security Architecture, Application of Emerging Technology, Public and Private Partnership on Cybersecurity, Understanding Cyberspace with Geopolitics, and Role of a CISO and Perspective from a CEO.
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The training period could take up to a month, depending on the length of the study trips and would be spread over a period of up to nine months to accommodate participants’ busy schedules.
An external training provider will conduct the Strategic Leadership Programme in collaboration with CSA.
Open enrolment is expected to start by early 2022, with successful local applicants receiving up to 90% of the programme funding by CSA.
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Each run of the annual programme will benefit up to 20 local participants, and CSA will conduct a review of the programme after gathering feedback from participants of each run.
More details on the qualifying criteria and application process will be released at a later date at www.csa.gov.sg/programmes/sgcybertalent.
The second initiative is the Operational Technology Cybersecurity Competency Framework (OTCCF), which will provide the foundation to attract and develop talent for the emerging OT (operational technology) cybersecurity sector in Singapore.
OTCCF will map out the various OT cybersecurity job roles and the corresponding technical skills and core competencies required. It also captures the possible career pathways showing the options for vertical and lateral progression.
The OTCCF aims to guide key stakeholders in the following ways:
- OT and IT system owners can refer to the OT cybersecurity capabilities required to attract the right people, train them adequately, and map out their career pathways.
- Training providers can refer to the technical competencies required by different job roles and be guided to develop best-in-class courses and certifications that cater to local training needs.
- OT professionals or potential job seekers can identify skillsets for cross- and up- skilling for a meaningful career in the OT cybersecurity domain. The career pathways could apply to job roles inclusive of vertical and lateral advancement opportunities.
The OTCCF is jointly developed by CSA and Mercer Singapore, and supported by SSG and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
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The CSA Academy will roll out a series of roadshows to engage organisations on how they can adopt the OTCCF based on their business needs.
The third initiative is the new Graduate Certificate programme in ‘Hardware Security Evaluation and Certification’, which is rolled out in collaboration with the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU).
The programme will equip cybersecurity practitioners, professionals, and fresh engineering graduates with practical knowledge on topics such as security evaluation and certification, vulnerability assessment of hardware products, physical hardware attacks and their countermeasures.
It will leverage the state-of-the-art facilities at the National Integrated Centre for Evaluation (NICE) to provide deep professional training on evaluation techniques.
Set to commence in Q1 2022, the Graduate Certificate programme comprises six courses that will be delivered by NTU faculty members and CSA officers.
More information on the programme, which qualifies for SkillsFuture funding, can be found here: https://ntu.edu.sg/pace/programmes/stackable-certificates/graduate-certificate.
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