Singapore sets up cybersecurity centre

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) have launched the National Integrated Centre for Evaluation (NiCE).

The first of its kind in South-East Asia, the joint centre serves as a one-stop facility for cyber security evaluation and certification. 

NiCE is a unique initiative that pools industrial and research expertise together to develop a sustainable academia-industry-government ecosystem for product evaluation and certification in Singapore. 

The centre also aims to help build a pipeline of local product evaluation talent, which will maximise economic opportunities and boost Singapore’s branding as a cybersecurity hub.

Located on the NTU Smart Campus, NiCE was officially launched by Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, Josephine Teo.

NTU Deputy President and Provost Professor Ling San said: “The rising threat of cyberattacks makes it vital that institutions, companies and agencies stay one step ahead of cyberthreats.

“Properly evaluating hardware to ensure that they are designed with security in mind, rather than added on as an afterthought, is the first step in keeping our cyber-physical systems safe.”

The importance of cybersecurity evaluation and testing

The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and increasing use of cyber-physical systems have led to a surge in devices and hardware components, such as communication points, storage, sensors, and actuators in such devices.

According to a forecast by Business Insider Intelligence, it is estimated that there will be 64 billion IoT devices globally by 2025.

These components present themselves as potential entry points for hackers and malicious actors. End users have little means to assess if these components are secure and need to rely on independent experts to perform such security evaluation.

NiCE supports the national push towards greater security evaluation by providing an all-in-one platform for manufacturers and developers to test and certify their products.