Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad Launches Cybersecurity Talent Development Programme to Schools Nation-wide

Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad at the launch of the Sentinel Programme with representatives of the Digital and Intelligence Service, and partners from the Defence Technology Community and the Ministry of Education.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad announced the nation-wide launch of the Sentinel Programme today. Organised by the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), the programme aims to equip youths with cybersecurity and digital skills, and empower them to contribute to digital defence. The Sentinel Programme was first piloted by the DIS in 2022 in selected schools^[1]. With the nation-wide launch, first-year students from all secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics, and Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) can now apply for the programme.

Speaking to attendees from partner schools and supporting agencies at the launch ceremony held at Temasek Polytechnic^[2], Mr Zaqy stressed the importance of the role that youths play in digital defence. He said, "The responsibility of digital defence cannot rest solely on the shoulders of established cybersecurity professionals, whether they are in government, academia, or the wider technology industry… Without our youth today taking up the mantle to defend Singapore's cyberspace, we will not have a strong core of cyber defenders in future to defend Singapore." He also noted that the move to scale up the Sentinel Programme went beyond an educational endeavour, and can strengthen Singapore's digital defence in the long term. "Therefore, it is imperative that we invest in our youth, who will eventually assume critical roles in defending our digital way of life," he added.

Mr Zaqy also presented awards to the winning teams of the Sentinel Challenge^[3] held earlier today, and the best-performing students of the pilot Sentinel Programme.

Under the Sentinel Programme, students will undergo a comprehensive curriculum to learn real-world cybersecurity skills in topics such as web programming, network forensics, and penetration testing. Students will also have opportunities to visit defence agencies, participate in internships, and be mentored by working cybersecurity professionals. Interested Secondary 1 and Year 1 students in Junior Colleges, Polytechnics, and ITE may visit the website (https://go.gov.sg/sentinel) for the application details.

^[1] As part of the pilot Sentinel Programme, secondary school students from Commonwealth Secondary School, Nanyang Girls' High School, Ngee Ann Secondary School, and Raffles Institution attended weekly classes after school. Junior College and Polytechnic students from various schools also attended workshops at regional centres such as Hwa Chong Institution, Temasek Polytechnic, and Republic Polytechnic.

^[2] Temasek Polytechnic is one of the seven programme regional centres in 2024, alongside Commonwealth Secondary School, Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls' High School, Ngee Ann Secondary School, Raffles Institution, and Singapore Polytechnic.

^[3] The Sentinel Challenge is an inter-school cybersecurity competition, involving students from the pilot programme and students from other invited schools. Through the Sentinel Challenge, students put their cybersecurity knowledge and skills to the test.

SMS Zaqy delivered a speech at the Sentinel Programme launch ceremony.

SMS Zaqy presented awards to the winning teams of the Sentinel Challenge held earlier today, and the best-performing students of the pilot Sentinel Programme.

SMS Zaqy interacted with participants of the pilot Sentinel Programme.

Students put their cybersecurity skills and knowledge to the test at the inter-school Sentinel Challenge held earlier today.

More Resources

Opening Address by Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad at the Sentinel Programme Official Launch on 20 Jan 2024 at Temasek Polytechnic