Trust

A Smart Nation that we can trust

Singapore takes a holistic approach to building a Smart Nation that is safe, reliable, and secure. Our citizens and enterprises must be able to depend on our digital infrastructure. Harmful online activities should be detected and disrupted quickly, with effective help and redress readily available to victims. Our citizens must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to go online safely and confidently.

While the Government takes the lead in developing policies, providing support and resources, and rallying partners to achieve these objectives, a collective effort is needed. This requires individuals, groups, and organisations to do their part.

To build a Smart Nation that we can trust, we will:

1) Enhance the security and resilience of our digital infrastructure

Digital infrastructure forms the foundation of our Smart Nation. It powers our digital economy and the digital products and services that citizens rely on. As with physical infrastructure like utilities and public transport, digital infrastructure such as broadband and mobile networks, data centres, and cloud services need to have high availability. Unexpected disruptions can greatly impact individuals and businesses and erode trust and confidence in the use of digital technology.

Highly reliable digital infrastructure and services give people and businesses peace of mind and allow us to make plans with certainty. While we cannot completely prevent disruptions or cyberattacks from occurring, our key systems must be well- protected against them, with our people and organisations prepared to respond and recover.

2) Strengthen our fight against harmful online activities

Malicious online activities can cause grave harm. Online scams can result in financial loss and emotional distress. Violent or sexually explicit content affects victims’ sense of safety and wellbeing. False or misleading online information can threaten social cohesion.

We have increased our efforts to address such harms, and will continuously update our responses to counter perpetrators’ constantly changing tactics.

3) Expand our trusted digital spaces together

We increasingly gather and interact in shared online spaces such as chatgroups, forums, games, and social media platforms. Building trusted online spaces is a collective effort.

While laws and regulations deter harmful conduct, everyone has the duty to make good choices and act responsibly online. We need to make responsible use of technology the norm, by respecting one another’s wellbeing. To expand our trusted digital spaces, we must aspire for our online spaces to lift spirits and foster connections.