The resiliency and security of critical digital infrastructure (CII) is critical to the continuity of essential services amid accelerating digitalization。

Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has taken positive steps to announce the establishment of an inter-agency working group ("Working Group") and announced plans to introduce the Digital Infrastructure Act (DIA) to enhance the resilience and security of critical digital infrastructure and services.。

At present, Singapore's cybersecurity and critical digital infrastructure are mainly framed by the Cybersecurity Act, which is further supplemented by specific regulations such as the Telecommunications Act.。However, the limited scope of its application has been verified in a series of recent events.。

In October last year, there was an hour-long outage at the Equinix data center, which caused widespread disruption to banking services, but fortunately, the internal website was not attacked.。Following the incident, authorities recognized the need to strengthen Singapore's digital ecosystem against a variety of risks, including cyber threats and physical attacks.。

It is understood that the proposed Digital Infrastructure Act aims to pre-empt existing regulations on a broader scale (such as technical configuration errors, fires or system failures, etc.); the scope of application of the Cybersecurity Act will also soon cover digital infrastructure (such as cloud service providers, data centers and key entities that hold sensitive data and basic public functions).。

Specifically, the core of the Digital Infrastructure Act is to provide stable support for the critical digital infrastructure that underpins Singapore's economy and society, and cloud services such as digital identity, ride-hailing, online payments and social media are the focus areas of the Act.。By focusing on "systemically important" entities, the bill will hopefully increase the overall resilience of the country's digital ecosystem.。

MCI Minister Josephine Teo said: "While it is not yet possible to fully eliminate the risk of service disruption, the working group will continue to monitor the volatile situation, study international best practices and regulatory approaches, and develop specific measures that are appropriate to Singapore's circumstances.。For example, jurisdictions such as the European Union, Germany and Australia have implemented regulatory requirements such as practice reporting requirements and baseline safety standards.。

By aligning with global standards and addressing Singapore's unique business environment, the Digital Infrastructure Act strikes a balance between risk management and regulatory compliance.。

It is reported that the working group was established in January this year and is led by MCI, bringing together members of various government agencies, including the Smart Nation Group, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Government Technology Agency.。

In the face of complex resilience needs, and seeing regulatory weaknesses, the Working Group explored other non-regulatory initiatives, such as best practices and guidelines for resilience and safety, alongside regulation.。In the process of formulating policies and measures, the working group, through consultation with industry stakeholders and relevant departments and institutions, ensured that all parties were fully informed and in line with the needs of the industry.。

For the working group, a commitment to maintaining public trust and confidence in Singapore's digital infrastructure and services is the starting point for their existence and work.。All of these measures are aimed at enhancing the capabilities of digital infrastructure and service providers to proactively address challenges and reduce risks while maintaining business continuity.。

As Singapore grapples with the complexities of the digital economy, the introduction of the Digital Infrastructure Bill, which covers a combination of comprehensive regulation, cross-industry collaboration and operating model innovation, is a strong testament to Singapore's position as one of the global digital hubs.。