SINGAPORE (Apr 22): Recent data breaches, including one where details of HIV patients were leaked, won’t hold back Singapore’s efforts in testing and investing in the latest technology to build what it termed as a “Smart Nation.”
“We cannot go back to pen and paper,” said Vivian Balakrishnan, the Singapore minister tasked with transforming the city-state into a Smart Nation. “If people lose confidence in the integrity and security of the system, then all these aspirations cannot be fulfilled.”
The government’s response to these cybersecurity attacks and human leaks has to be one where it’s completely open, along with corrective measures it would take, Balakrishnan said in an interview in San Francisco, where he’s attending Singapore-run tech conferences and visiting tech companies. He is also the island’s foreign affairs minister.
