Singapore cybersecurity academy to strengthen nation’s mission-critical workforce

To close the gap between cybersecurity skills and operational readiness, SC Cyber, a Singapore-based cybersecurity company, is partnering with educational institutions to develop the country’s future-ready and next generation of cyber professionals. 

Previously named softScheck APAC, the firm on September 23 unveiled its new identity as SC Cyber. The renaming marked its mission to establish a renewed identity centred around advancing trust. 

SC Cyber holds a GovTech Tier-1 Security Testing attestation, which indicates that its security testing practices meet requirements for work in highly sensitive government environments. 

Its new initiative, SC Cyber Academy, was announced at an event commemorating the rebranding on September 23. It aims to develop capabilities in AI security and AI-assisted cybersecurity.  

Expressing support for the Academy at the event, member of parliament and assistant secretary general of Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Ms Yeo Wan Ling, said at the launch event: “Skills training leads to jobs and better careers.” 

“Whenever we talk about technology and transformation... workers ask: Will my skills be relevant five years from now? Can I make a mid-career switch?” she added. 

From training to operational readiness 

The academy would administer the Cyber Talent Acceleration Programme, which aims to develop over 100 cybersecurity practitioners from students and mid-career cybersecurity professionals into “future-ready” cybersecurity practitioners, said the company in a media release. 

The programme is three-way collaboration between SC Cyber; Ngee Ann Polytechnic, a public post-secondary education institution; as well as global information security company OffSec. 

Beyond technical knowledge or tools, the Academy would guide participants in evidence-handling, reporting, quality assurance, and secure information management. 

“One of the key lessons from supporting government and Critical Information Infrastructure organisations is that cybersecurity work is not simply about having the technical ability to perform an assessment,” says SC Cyber’s chief executive, Henry Tan, to GovInsider. 

Practitioners must also be able to work within tightly controlled environments, following requirements around security clearances, access permissions, confidential information, documentation, approved procedures and other security protocols, he says. 

“The objective is to develop practitioners who are not only technically competent, but who can be trusted to operate responsibly in sensitive and mission-critical environments,” he adds. 

Building a longer-term cyber pipeline 

SC Cyber also announced a partnership with Digital Defence Alliance Singapore (DDAS) to introduce more young people to cybersecurity through outreach programmes, with a target of reaching over 3,000 youth over the next three years. 

These include mentorships, “job taster” programmes, and field trips to SC Cyber offices to encourage exposure to cybersecurity practitioners and career pathways within the industry. 

The cybersecurity ecosystem requires job functions that go beyond technical roles, such as those in business, government, communications, and risk management, said the firm. 

SC Cyber will gauge the success of their programmes through several yardsticks, including successful practical assessments, progression into cyber roles or internships, time to operational productivity, and growth in technical and professional skills. 

“Over the longer term, an even more meaningful measure would be how many people developed through these programmes eventually progress into senior practitioners, technical leads and cybersecurity leaders,” Tan explains. 

He adds that Singapore needs more than a larger pool of entry-level cybersecurity talent, as sustaining growth in the cybersecurity industry requires a continuous pipeline of talent with different levels of experience and capabilities. 

“Technology changes and threats change, but organisations will always need capable people who understand technology, risk and the operating environment,” he says.  

“Cybersecurity capability ultimately comes down to people. Technology changes and threats change, but organisations will always need capable people who understand technology, risk and the operating environment.” 

The company said it will continue working with other government, industry, academic and community partners too, such as the CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre, Association of Information Security Professionals, and Division Zero, an open, volunteer-run cybersecurity community.

Through such collaborations, SC Cyber hopes to strengthen pathways from cybersecurity awareness and education to employment and leadership roles.

SC Cyber hopes to expand further into Asean and the broader international market.

It said its overseas expansion will be supported by talent development in Singapore, with locally trained professionals contributing to projects in the region and beyond.