Yahoo – AFP,
June 10, 2016
 |
| Singapore is one of the world's most Internet-savvy societies, offering broadband speeds envied by many (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman) |
Singapore's
prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has defended the country's controversial
decision to cut off civil servants' work computers from the Internet, calling
the move "absolutely necessary" to keep information systems secure.
"Are
we happy? I don't think so, because it will slow us down in terms of day-to-day
productivity. In terms of security, safety of our systems, safety of our
citizens and information concerning them, it's absolutely necessary," he
told Singapore media during a visit to Myanmar.
Lee said
that the defence and foreign affairs ministries already have separate computers
for Internet access and for handling sensitive communications.
There was a
huge backlash on Wednesday when The Straits Times newspaper reported that some
100,000 government computers would be affected by the Internet blockage, aimed
at keeping data secure and preventing the spread of malware.
It quoted a cyber security official as saying that there were 16 attacks on government systems from unnamed sources in the last year, but the malware was detected and destroyed.
It quoted a cyber security official as saying that there were 16 attacks on government systems from unnamed sources in the last year, but the malware was detected and destroyed.
 |
Singapore's
prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (L) has defended the country's
controversial
decision to cut off civil servants' work computers from the Internet,
calling
the move 'absolutely necessary' to keep information systems secure
(AFP
Photo/Mohd Fyrol)
|
Malware is software
specifically designed to disrupt or damage a computer system.
Civil
servants would still be able to access the Internet on their personal devices
such as tablets and mobile phones.
Public-school
teachers and lecturers would not be affected by the move, officials said.
Singapore
is one of the world's most Internet-savvy societies, offering broadband speeds
envied by many.
A wide
range of government services are available online, including registering for
marriage, filing complaints to the police and video consultations with doctors.
Singapore
announced in 2014 it was stepping up IT security measures following attacks on
a section of the prime minister's website, as well the website of the
presidential residence.
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