Fact Sheet: Cyber Defence Test and Experimentation Centre (CyTEC) and Sectoral Cyber Defence Teams (SCDTs)

Introduction

Threats in the digital domain continue to evolve in scale, speed, and sophistication. The Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) partners our Whole-of-Government (WoG) agencies and the industry to support national cyber defence. The DIS’ Defence Cyber Command (DCCOM) was established in 2025 by consolidating the SAF’s cybersecurity entities under one command to allow a more integrated approach to advance cybersecurity capabilities and operations. To fulfil its responsibilities effectively, the DIS must leverage and deploy cutting-edge technologies while continuing to build and sustain a highly skilled workforce capable of anticipating and prevailing against emerging digital threats.

Upgraded Cyber Defence Test and Experimentation Centre (CyTEC)

The SAF Digital Range (SAFDR) will allow the SAF to train, exercise and experiment with emerging technologies to keep pace with real-world threats. This includes joint training with other national agencies to defend the digital domain, ranging from enterprise information systems to critical infrastructure systems, through exercises such as the Critical Infrastructure Defence Exercise (CIDeX). The first phase of the SAFDR will be operational in 2026, with an upgraded CyTEC. The existing Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre^[1] will be repositioned from a Test and Evaluation centre to a Test and Experimentation centre.

The upgraded CyTEC will be able to simulate more sophisticated cyber defence scenarios that closely mirror our real-world networks. It will be able to do so at scale with Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance, to facilitate more complex collaborations with WoG partners, Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) owners, and commercial companies. MINDEF/SAF will also be able to connect remotely with overseas partners for the conduct of multilateral cyber defence exercises.

The DIS piloted an early slice of this capability at last year’s CIDeX, which the DIS organised together with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) to strengthen the cybersecurity resilience levels of our CII owners. CIDeX 2025’s exercise scenarios were developed with the use of an AI tool, developed by CyTEC, which suggested attack pathways to engineer potential attack scenarios and intrusion vectors. These scenarios were further built on and refined by the planning and control team to shape realistic simulations that mimic attacks by malicious threat actors. Another example of CyTEC’s experiments with AI agents is in the area of Digital Forensics. This allows our cyber defenders to perform tasks such as anomaly detection and investigative analysis at speed and scale, and to automate repetitive and manual forensic processes. This frees up our cyber defenders for higher-order tasks like continuous threat hunting.

Sectoral Cyber Defence Teams (SCDTs)

DCCOM’s Cyber Protection Group will continue to enhance MINDEF/SAF’s contributions towards national cyber defence.  To strengthen cyber defence and resilience of key CIIs against advanced persistent threats, we will shift from reactive incident response towards a coordinated and proactive strategy. This will be done through Sectoral Cyber Defence Teams (SCDTs), which includes Regulars and National Servicemen, to support CSA’s national efforts to strengthen the protection of Singapore’s CII against sophisticated cyber threats.

Suitable Operationally Ready NSmen will be organised into SCDTs aligned to Singapore’s CII sectors. These SCDTs will allow us to tap on NSmen with niche cyber expertise relevant to each sector. Through this, DCCOM will build up sector-specific cybersecurity communities to share best practices, as well as ensure our NSmen with the relevant cybersecurity skillsets are meaningfully deployed in key operational roles.

NSmen with matching talents and relevant civilian expertise can express interest to serve in the DIS through the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme.

^[1] The Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre was established in 2015 to provide the SAF with the cyber range capability to conduct advanced training and exercises for its cyber defenders.