Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has convened a new committee to conduct a comprehensive review of  data security across the public service, in a press release by the Prime Minister’s Office on March 31.

Committee to review data security practices for the government and third-party vendors

Called the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee, the committee is expected to review data security practices, including measures and process regarding the collection and protection of citizens' personal data by public agencies.

What's more, vendors who handle personal data on behalf of the government will be subjected to the review as well.

In elaborating what the review would consist of, the press release stated that the committee will:

• Review how the government secures and protects citizens’ data, including the role that vendors and other authorised third parties play in the process,
• Recommend technical measures and safeguards to improve the government's citizen data protection and its response to incidents, and
• Develop a plan of action to implement the recommendations both immediately, and in the longer term.

Steps that the government has taken so far

The press release added that thus far, the government had already taken multiple steps to improve data security.

Such steps included the Internet Surfing Separation policy in 2016 and the disabling of USB ports from being accessed by unauthorised devices in 2017.

Additionally, the number and types of IT internal audits have since been increased to check on agencies’ data access and data protection measures.

The press release noted that 2018 also saw the introduction of measures to better detect and respond to cyberattacks that targeted critical government databases.

As for the new committee, the press release stated that the committee will consult with international experts and industry professionals, from both the private and public sectors.

An inter-agency taskforce will also be formed by public officers across the government to better support the committee.

Who will chair the committee?

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating minister for National Security, Teo Chee Hean will chair the committee.

He currently serves as the Minister-in-charge of Public Sector Data Governance as well.

As for the rest of the committee, the press release stated that it will consist of private sector representatives with expertise in data security and technology, and the following Ministers:

• Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan,
• Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran,
• Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, and
• Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary.

As for why these ministers were chosen, it's worth noting that all of these ministers selected are the same ministers who are part of the Ministerial Committee that overseas the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) as well.

Additionally, Teo also serves as the chairman of this particular committee, with Vivian serving as the Minister-in-Charge of the Smart Nation Initiative.

Also of note is the fact that Janil also serves as the Minister-in-Charge of GovTech.

These suggest that the government is taking the findings of this new committee and its potential implications for the Smart Nation and GovTech initiatives seriously, which reflects a proactive rather than reactive stance.

Recent data-related incidents have underlined the need for better data security

The press release further stated that the government has acknowledged that recent data-related incidents have highlighted the urgent need for better data security policies and practices in the public sector.

In adding that while each incident was being investigated by different agencies, the committee's review would seek to incorporate the best practices from across the globe to strengthen data security.

 The committee will submit its findings and recommendations to the Prime Minister by Nov. 30, 2019.

What are the data-related incidents that have occured so far?

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