S’pore’s critical sectors join major defence exercise, defend systems against realistic simulated cyber-attacks

11 critical sectors take part in Critical Infrastructure Defence Exercise to strengthen Singapore’s readiness for cyber threats

A cyber-attack on Singapore’s essential systems — from the electricity that powers our homes to the payment networks we use every day — could bring daily life to a standstill.

To prepare for that possibility, the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) are running the Critical Infrastructure Defence Exercise (CIDeX). This nationwide drill tests the country’s cyber defences.

From 11 to 14 Nov, the Singapore Institute of Technology hosted this year’s CIDeX. Participants from all 11 Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) sectors participated for the first time.

More than 250 participants from DIS, CSA, and 33 organisations took part in the four-day exercise.

Chan Chun Sing and Josephine Teo visit exercise

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo visited the exercise on Tuesday (11 Nov).

They attended a briefing on how CIDeX strengthens teamwork across agencies. The duo also watched demonstrations of cyber defence tools developed by the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre.

Mr Chan also shared a video of his visit on Facebook, using it to explain why exercises like this are crucial.

“‘APT'” may be a catchy tune — but in the cyber world, Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) are anything but,” he wrote.

Aside from being a Rosé and Bruno Mars earworm, APT also refers to long-running, hard-to-detect cyber intrusions. These threats are designed to steal data, spy on networks, or disrupt essential systems.

“In today’s interconnected world, a single breach can have devastating effects across networks,” Mr Chan added. He stressed the need for close cooperation between the military, government agencies, and industry players.

Realistic cyber-attack scenarios, including on power & transport systems

During the drill, the organisers put teams representing different critical sectors into fast-moving scenarios. These teams also defended their digital systems from live simulated attacks.

Specialists from CSA, DIS, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), GovTech, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) created these scenarios.

This year, the attacks focused on systems that keep daily life running. These include attempts to compromise power supplies, rail operations, and even a 5G network.

For the first time, planners also used an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to help map out possible attack routes. Trainers then refined the ideas that AI generated into full scenarios that mirror how real cyberattacks unfold.

Private companies such as Singtel, AWS, and Google Cloud also contributed, sharing industry insights that made the simulations more realistic and supporting a six-day hands-on training programme that helped participants sharpen their skills before the exercise began.

New 5G cyber testbed launched

Alongside CIDeX, DIS and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) unveiled the new Cyber5G testbed. This is a full-scale, telco-grade 5G network built to help Singapore stay ahead of next-generation cyber threats.

Unlike computer simulations, the testbed uses actual 5G infrastructure, from the core network down to the radio access layer.

This lets researchers, agencies, and industry partners safely test cyber vulnerabilities, practise incident response, and experiment with new security tools without affecting live national networks.

Because it mirrors how a real 5G system behaves, including latency, handovers and security events, the training feels far more lifelike.

It also supports Smart Nation use cases, such as connected drones, robotics, and smart healthcare systems, providing developers with a realistic environment to test how these technologies perform under pressure.

Also read: Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing goes jogging at Bukit Gombak, checks in on MINDEF security staff

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Featured image adapted from Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF) on Facebook.