Re: Smart Nation, IDA - laughing stock of the World over Internet Closure
cough* cough* ahem
New Internet ruling for public service 'a nuisance', but necessary: PM Lee
YANGON — As “volunteer number one”, he has been working on two separate computer systems since the start of the year, revealed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as he addressed the outcry over the Government’s move to separate internet access from work computers, noting that the Government must make sure its systems are secure as cyber threats become more severe.
By Tan Weizhen -
1 hour 44 min ago
YANGON — As
“volunteer number one”, he has been
working on two separate computer systems since the start of the year, revealed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as he addressed the outcry over the Government’s move to separate internet access from work computers, noting that the Government must make sure its systems are secure as cyber threats become more severe.
The move was something the Government had been “thinking about for a while” and had “put off for as long as possible”, said Mr Lee, who was speaking to Singapore media in an interview wrapping up his official visit to Myanmar on Thursday (June 9).
Mr Lee said he had
volunteered to be the first to try out this new way of working to keep out cyber intrusions as far as possible, with the Internet being a “wild wild west”. He was initially reluctant to do it, but his security team convinced him that it was a “serious” matter, he said.
On Wednesday, news broke that public service officers would not be able to access the internet from their work computers from next May. But they would still be able to surf the Internet on separate computers or mobile devices, either belonging to the individual or provided by their organisations.
Asked about the move, which has drawn criticism, Mr Lee said the culture is now one of being “completely dependent” on our IT systems and computers in the office. “We have to make sure that our system is secure. We can’t get infiltrated, data cannot be stolen, somebody can’t come in and wipe out your data or cause some other mischief,” said Mr Lee.
Despite the best precautions, intruders get in “because the intruders are very often one step smarter than you and you have to block everywhere…they just have to get in in one place and you may not know for a long time,” he said. Noting that threats have become “a lot more severe” in intensity and cleverness, this was something the Government must “take it very, very seriously”, he added.
Some ministries, such as the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some parts of Ministry of Home Affairs, have already been working based on two computers. “I think it’s a recognition that the internet is a wild wild west and we better know that. Otherwise, if you go out innocently thinking that all is fine, someday, something is going to happen to you. Quite likely something is happening to you and you don’t even know it,” Mr Lee warned.
He also stressed the need to find “the right balance”. “If we make our system so secure that it becomes a bother to you, then civil servants will either stop working or find some way around it,” he acknowledged, noting initially it was a nuisance. “So we’ve got to find the right balance and we’ve got to calibrate that balance as we go along.”
Calling the move “workable”, Mr Lee said: “It takes some getting used to, but you can do it. So what I have done, I have an email system, I set up another one, which is for internet browsing, and between the two you have what people call an air gap separation, meaning, this is one system, that’s one system. They don’t talk to each other. And hopefully no information can jump over from one side to another or from this side to that.”
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/new-internet-ruling-public-service-nuisance-necessary-pm-lee
Clearly the revelation here shames/chides New Nation for misreporting and engaging in a blatant lie that sought to mislead without verifying facts - this spoof new site needs a timely reminder that a vicious lie is not an 'alternative angle and choosing to run an article that contained glaring misinformation that could have been easily searched and verified online is truly irresponsible:
PM Lee must stop Facebook postings during office hours once Internet cut off for public servants
Singaporeans from all walks of life, who believe in fairness and leading by example, are calling on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to stop posting updates on Facebook, especially after May 2017 when the Internet is cut off for public servants.
One Singaporean, Mian Bu, said this is so as it will set a precedent: “Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the foremost public servant in Singapore. His actions will set the example for the hundreds of thousands of public servants who would follow his cue.”
“It is of utmost importance that he does not post updates on his Facebook page during office hours as he should not have access to the Internet using government computers.”
“And even if he does post on Facebook using his own device, it would signal he is using his own Internet data to post, which is also not good, as he should not be social networking during office hours where he is compensated with taxpayers’ money.”
However, other Singaporeans said dictating how the prime minister should act during office hours is not a natural right of citizens.
Tou Piao, another local, said: “We need to put this issue up for a referendum.”
“The two choices are: ‘PM Lee must not post Facebook updates during office hours’ or ‘PM Lee must compensate taxpayers for posting Facebook updates during office hours’.”
“These two choices resemble the referendum asking citizens to decide if Singapore should merge with Malaysia, where there was no choice to vote against the merger.”
http://newnation.sg/2016/06/pm-lee-...rs-once-internet-cut-off-for-public-servants/