Cyber-secure Nation

Cyber security seems to be the new buzzword. Just last week, it was announced that a new military unit, the Defence Cyber Organization (DCO) would be set up specifically to counter infocomm threats such as cyber terrorism and fake news.

Online threats

The idea itself wasn't bad, though the timing of the announcement coincided wth news of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) being hacked, resulting in the personal data of 850 national servicemen and employees being stolen. While I'm sure the move has been planned carefully for some time before being announced, the timing does give the impression that the Government is still coming to terms with the loaded gun that is the Internet, a full decade after 56kbps modems stopped being a thing.

Elite forces?

"They will be entering a very selective and demanding vocation, comparable to the commandos or naval divers" - Second Defence Minister Ong Ye Kung

Also, Minister Ong Ye Kung's comparison of the proposed new cyber defenders to the Commandos and Naval Diver units, caused a certain amount of jeering. I'm not saying he was wrong, or that his attempt to talk up the proposed new unit wasn't well-intentioned. I'm merely suggesting that the comparison was somewhat tactless. In terms of physicality, the average infantryman might find these remarks to be trivializing his training, much less someone from the elite forces, such as Guardsmen and Commandos!

Come on, dude. Really?

But, technically at least, he's not wrong. Cyber terrorism is a very real threat, and military secrets are at risk, and have been for a while now. The hacking of MINDEF is probably just the tip of a very intimidating iceberg.

The same argument, of course, could be applied to other less glamorous vocations such as Drivers, Clerks and Cooks. Each of these vocations bring something valuable to the table - support for the macho alpha males manning the front lines. And the military simply would not function just as well without them. So I'm of the opinion that as long as you served with pride and passion, you can hold your head high.

Also, the good Minister is right in the sense that not every vocation is that easily filled, much less that of Cyber Defenders, Commandos or Guardsmen. As a seaman on board a warship in the Republic of Singapore Navy, I once witnessed a Commando swagger on board my ship. He probably had a very low opinion of seamen, whose training admittedly cannot be compared to Commando training in terms of physicality. He was forced to revise his opinion, an hour later out at sea when the ship started to roll. Hey, if you've never seen a Commando turn green, you're missing out.

Having to clean up his puke later? Totally worth it.

Professional application

This may be one of the few military vocations that have an actual equivalent outside of the military. One of the problems career soldiers run into is that after they finish their contracts, finding jobs outside that leverage on their military experience, can be a real pain in the ass. Not for this particular vocation. The Government is even launching the Cybersecurity Professional Scheme in July, with an eye towards increasing the number of cyber security professionals in the market.

Other concerns

What I am interested in, is how this new unit is going to work. If, as reported, there are plans to draw their numbers from both regulars and conscripts, how does this work for conscripts? As a conscript whose term of service was a trifling 2 years plus, my access to information was on a need-to-know basis. But if Cyber Defenders are going to be any good at their jobs, they would need to have a fair idea of what they are protecting, and where all the entry points are.

Would they still be required to operate firearms? Dig foxholes? Charge up and down hills?

Also, what cool stuff will they be learning? The basics are probably out. They are taking these guys from the pool of IT Diploma holders, after all.

Guess we'll find out in the coming months...

Curious mind(ef)s want to know!
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