Securing Singapore’s Critical Information Infrastructure Dependent on Satellite and Space Systems

1 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what measures are in place to secure Singapore’s space-based critical information infrastructure dependent on satellite and space systems; (b) whether the Government has established or plans to establish cybersecurity and resilience standards required of satellite operators; and (c) what contingency plans are in place in the event of disruptions to these satellite operators.

The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information): Sir, today, over 99% of our Internet traffic is transmitted internationally via submarine cables, and domestically via terrestrial cables and radio networks. In Singapore, specific enterprises may use satellites as a secondary channel for communications or environmental monitoring.

The impact of potential disruptions to satellite services today is therefore limited. For example, operational systems in the aviation and maritime sectors are primarily supported by terrestrial connectivity networks, with satellite communications serving as a secondary mode of communications.

As cybersecurity threats to space systems are expected to evolve, the Government will work closely with the industry to enhance the security and resilience of Singapore’s space infrastructure.

Mr Speaker: Dr Choo.

Dr Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang): Thank you, Speaker, and Senior Minister of State. I have three supplementary questions.

First, as reliance on satellite-enabled systems grows, is there a role for strengthening domestic capabilities in satellite cybersecurity monitoring, threat detection and attribution? My second supplementary question: given that satellites are difficult to repair once launched and may rely on legacy or unpatched systems, what is the Government's assessment on the resilient risks? My third supplementary question: and how are these mitigated over their life-cycle?

Mr Tan Kiat How: Sir, I thank the Member Dr Choo for her supplementary questions. My sense of her questions is they stem from a concern around the resilience and security of our digital connectivity infrastructure, which is understandable. The digital connectivity infrastructure is increasingly essential for our economy and our daily lives.

Let me set the context and elaborate on the point that I made earlier. More than 99% of our Internet traffic is via non-satellite means. Unlike other, perhaps, larger countries, Singapore is a hub for submarine cables. Most of our Internet traffic to other parts of the world is via submarine cables. We are a very submarine cable-densed hub in the world. That is the first point.

The second: within Singapore, domestically, we have very robust digital connectivity infrastructure. We have fibre optic cables to almost every home and every business. In fact, Singapore is probably one of the world's first countries to have fibre optic cables to every address. That was more than 15 years ago.

Complementing that is the mobile infrastructure networks. About five years ago, we rolled out the 5G standalone network, making us probably one of the first countries in the world to have nation-wide coverage of standalone 5G mobile coverage.

These networks complement one another, and security and resilience are built into these networks in their design. So, 99% of our Internet traffic is through submarine cables to other parts of the world, and within Singapore, through the terrestrial networks, primarily fibre optic cables as well as our radio networks, which are mobile networks.

That is the context in which we look at our digital connectivity infrastructure.

On top of that, we participate actively in international bodies that set standards for resilience and cybersecurity for the space industry, for example, international standards, such as those from the International Organization for Standardization, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems.

Satellite operators and their partners adopt cybersecurity and resilience standards relevant to their specific use cases, such as for information technology (IT), aerospace and telecommunications. And users that transmit sensitive data would also adopt stringent data encryption policies to protect the data in transit.

Singapore participates actively in many of these committees. This space is evolving, the space technology is evolving rapidly, especially with commercial endeavours in this area, and Singapore continues to monitor the trends closely and participate actively.