Government accepts all data security recommendations by review committee; to roll out 80% by end 2021
The government will be rolling out recommendations from the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee in 80% of its systems by the end of 2021, and the remaining 20% by end of 2030. In his reply to the committee's recommendation on 27 November, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, “Data is the lifeblood of the digital economy and a digital government. We need to use and share data as fully as possible to provide better public services. "In doing so, we must also protect the security of the data and preserve the privacy of individuals, and yet not stifle digital innovation." Recommendations include public agencies collecting and retaining a person’s data only when it is strictly necessary and ensuring it is well safeguarded. In cases of data incidents involving government ministries, public agencies or statutory bodies, affected individuals are to be promptly notified. A single contact point will also be established to allow the public to report on data incidents. On top of that, all public sector officers will have to go through a yearly data security training programme in an effort to improve the culture of safeguarding data. Also, as the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), for which amendments are likely to be announced next year, will also include third-party government vendors handling government data. This means that those agents who we previously exempted from the PDPA will not be liable to financial penalties under the Act of up to S$1 million. These recommendations fall under five broad measures aimed at better data protection and mitigating data compromise; improving detection of and response to data incidents; raising competency on data security in the public service, ensuring accountability for data protection at all levels of the government, and ensuring that data security is a sustained effort in the public service. These are in tandem with the 13 technical measures that were announced by the committee in July which included strategies like encrypting sensitive files and hiding highly sensitive information in a separate system with strictly controls. To oversee the data security across the public sector, a Digital Government Executive Committee will be appointed by the government. The current review committee, on the other hand, will take lead in implementing the latest recommended measures. PM Lee says the government agrees that the recommendations should be implemented as soon as practicable, noting that three baseline technical measures have already been implemented in October 2019.
