The global IT outage last Friday (July 22) “left many of us feeling vulnerable and questioning our heavy reliance on technology for everyday activities”, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.
Yet, those feelings are “completely understandable and valid”, she added in a Facebook post on July 21.
Since digitalisation is a “mega trend” that we can’t shy away from, Teo pointed out that preparation for such incidents often begin at ‘peacetime’.
She wrote, “It is precisely when things are going reasonably well that we must take action to fortify our defences.
“It starts with robust testing and putting in the right safeguards so that incidents are prevented in the first place. Testing and red-teaming must be prioritised and conducted across multiple levels so that appropriate safeguards can be put in place.”
Teo added that it is vital to update business continuity plans, and not only practise them but stress-testing them through tabletop exercises.
According to Teo, the Singapore organisations affected by the global outage are “almost fully recovered”.
For more on Teo’s comments about the global IT outage, read here.