The Singaporean government has announced a new initiative that will see government computers lose their connection to the internet by the end of the year. This will see some 100,000 machines cut off as the government seeks to tighten cybersecurity.
Government servants will have to make do with their own mobile devices if they want to use the internet while at work. Those who actually require an internet connection to do their jobs will have access to specially designated workstations.
“We have started to separate internet access from the work stations of a selected group of public service officers, and will do so for the rest of the public service officers progressively over a one-year period,” Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said.
Reports indicate that the move is to prevent cyberattacks on government networks. This comes after several government websites were hacked in 2013. The campaign was a response by Anonymous against perceived government censorship of the media; which looks like it has lead to extremely severe security restrictions.
The Malaysian government has reacted to the move by saying that it would not be following suit. Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa has said that cutting off the internet would not prevent civil servants from leaking government information.
[Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Bernama]
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