Certified for cyber trust, Huawei advocates ‘collective responsibility’ for Singapore’s critical information infrastructure

“It is our collective responsibility to strengthen the cyber readiness of the entire ecosystem and promote the cyber safety for Singapore’s critical information infrastructure,” said Foo Fang Yong, CEO of Huawei International.   

He was speaking at an awards ceremony on 17 October at GovWare 2023, which was part of the annual Singapore International Cyber Week. During the ceremony, Huawei was awarded the Cyber Trust mark (Advocate) certification by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).  

Foo added that taking a leadership stance in promoting cybersecurity among industry stakeholders was the reason Huawei embarked on the Cyber Trust mark certification process. 

Launched by CSA in March 2022, the Cyber Trust mark certificate, which recognises five tiers of cybersecurity preparedness, is a mark of distinction and a visible indicator for organisations to demonstrate that they have put in place good cybersecurity preparedness and measures that are commensurate with their cybersecurity risk profile. 

Dennis Chan, Chief Security & Privacy Officer of Huawei International, said that achieving this new cybersecurity certificate now was “a testament to our dedication and effort put in by our colleagues to enhance our cybersecurity measures in safeguarding the company’s digital assets, also showcasing our readiness to face the evolving challenges in today’s digital landscape.” 

Keeping one’s own house in order 

Over the past two decades, Huawei has been a part of Singapore’s digitalisation journey, developing world-class network infrastructure and introducing smart devices to the Singapore market.  

As new technologies such as cloud, AI and big data are further integrated into the communications infrastructure, Huawei said it was ramping up its ability to provide stable, reliable, secure, and sustainable cloud services to local businesses.  

“Cybersecurity is Huawei’s top priority, and certification is the most effective way to demonstrate our commitment and credibility in cybersecurity, hence building trust with our stakeholders,” said Foo. 

“Huawei advocates and promotes the establishment of cybersecurity standards that are globally recognised and agreed upon, including supporting local certification led by local regulators.” 

The trust mark serves to indicate that a certified organisation has invested significant expertise and resources to manage and protect its information technology infrastructure, to upkeep its cybersecurity posture and protect its operations and customers from cyber attacks. 

In 2022, the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) awarded Huawei International the Data Protection Trustmark (DPTM) certification, recognising the company for demonstrating sound data privacy practices.  

Advocating for cyber safety 

Since 2021, Huawei has collaborated with CSA on the SG Cyber Safe Partnership Programme, which aims to connect tech companies with local businesses, organisations and citizens, to raise awareness and build up cyber capabilities. 

As an advocate for the programme, Huawei organised webinars for local enterprises on common cybersecurity issues and provided tools on its cloud platform to help improve businesses’ cyber hygiene. The firm also published education content on its social media channels as part of community outreach efforts. 

By committing to a strong cyber posture, Foo said, Huawei is providing a high level of assurance to its partners and customers. 

Across its operations worldwide, Huawei has promoted the establishment of cybersecurity standards and has also been actively participating with industry standards organisations to promote the establishment of new standards. 

In Singapore, these efforts have involved encouraging businesses, in particular small- and medium-sized enterprises, to take up CSA’s Cyber Essentials certification. 

“We look forward to continuing to work with CSA and supporting initiatives that enable businesses to improve their cybersecurity preparedness in Singapore,” Foo added.