Singapore Polytechnic has launched a Cyber Security Academy to provide cyber-defence assessment services and training, making it the first Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore to do so.

The Academy will allow corporate and government organisations to test the resilience of their IT systems against cyber attacks with a comprehensive suite of cyber-defence assessment services. It will also provide Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses to working infocomm professionals, allowing them to keep ahead of technology or to seek a new career in infocomm security.

The establishment of the Academy is in line with some of the key thrusts of Singapore’s National Cyber Security Masterplan 2018, which include enhancing the security and resilience of critical infocomm infrastructure, and growing Singapore’s pool of infocomm security experts.

Speaking at its official opening on 18 December, Ms Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), noted that there were only 1,200 IT security specialists in Singapore in 2012, representing less than 1 per cent of the total IT industry workforce. This underscored the need to develop Singapore’s cyber security human capital, she said.

The Cyber Security Academy will take Singapore a step forward toward this objective, said Ms Poh. It will cater to those new to the infocomm security field, such as students and individuals seeking a mid-career change. It will also help upgrade the skills of existing cyber security professionals, and hone the skills of companies’ cyber security staff through cyber security exercises.

Housed in Singapore Polytechnic’s existing Cyber Wargame Centre, the Academy was set up following a Memorandum of Cooperation that was signed by the Polytechnic and Ixia in September 2013. Other industry partners include e-COP and ST Electronics.

With the inclusion of Ixia’s BreakingPoint security test solutions, the Academy incorporates the same advanced technology as the world’s largest ranges, such as the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency National Range, said Mr Naveen Bhat, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Ixia Pte Ltd.

Its Cyber Range allows the simulation of realistic large-scale cyber attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks involving up to 7.5 million users. DDoS aims to overload a web site by bombarding it with a very high volume of traffic. The Cyber Range provides infocomm students and professionals with an authentic learning experience by giving them hands-on exposure to such scenarios. It also enables organisations to assess the resilience of their IT systems against these attacks.

The Academy will conduct a five-day basic CET course which will train participants in theoretical and practical cyber security concepts as part of Ixia’s “Cyber Range Essentials” curriculum. This will equip IT professionals and adult learners with the knowledge and skills in effectively conducting offensive and defensive cyber security operations.

Professionals and organisations can continue with an advanced CET course to gain a deeper understanding of using a safe virtual environment for cyber-warfare training and cyber-technology development.

Mr Liew Chin Chuan, Course Manager for Diploma in Infocomm Security Management, Singapore Polytechnic, said, “With this new setup, course participants will now have the first-hand appreciation of large-scale cyber attacks and the latest threats. Our staff will also be empowered to impart such critical knowledge to their students, which will enhance their knowledge and thus empowering them to deal with real-world cyber security threats”.