Participation of CIDEX 2023

Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Heng Chee How, and Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health, Dr. Janil Puthucheary, paid a visit to the Critical Infrastructure Defence Exercise (CIDeX) 2023 this afternoon. During their time there, they received a briefing on how CIDeX 2023 enhanced collaboration between different agencies to identify and address cyber security threats. They also engaged with participants of CIDeX 2023.

CIDeX 2023, held at the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Computing from November 22 to 24, is organized by the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). Supported by iTrust/SUTD and the National Cybersecurity R&D Laboratory (NCL), CIDeX focuses on Operational Technology (OT) Critical Infrastructure defense exercises aimed at strengthening cyber capabilities across government agencies. This year, it involved over 200 participants from various agencies, including DIS, CSA, and 24 other national agencies across six Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) sectors.

The exercise included an expanded digital infrastructure with multiple IT networks and new OT testbeds, allowing participants to operate across four CII sectors – power, water, telecom, and aviation. The Blue Teams, consisting of cyber defenders from national agencies, defended their digital infrastructure against simulated cyber-attacks launched by a composite Red Team. These attacks simulated disruptions that could impact crucial operations such as overloading airport substations, disrupting water distribution, and shutting down a gas plant.

The exercise served as a platform for participants to refine their skills, share expertise, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration. Prior to CIDeX, participants underwent a five-day hands-on training program at the Singapore Armed Forces' Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre (CyTEC) to enhance their cyber defense capabilities.

Alongside CIDeX 2023, the DIS signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for cyber collaboration with Ensign InfoSecurity, Google, and ST Engineering, expanding its partnerships within the technology sector, in addition to a previous MoU with Microsoft.

Mr. Heng emphasized the importance of inter-agency cooperation and the DIS's dedication to national cyber defense. Dr. Janil echoed these sentiments, highlighting CIDeX's role in the holistic effort for cyber defense, emphasizing the significance of such exercises to prepare for potential cyber-attacks or disruptions.

The visit was hosted by Chief of Digital and Intelligence Service/Director Military Intelligence, Major-General Lee Yi-Jin, and included Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng and Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) Mr. Melvyn Ong.