Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Mr Teo Chee Hean was the Guest of Honour at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) today.

In his speech, SM Teo congratulated CSIT for its invaluable contributions to national security and emphasised that the growing digital and security threats posed by malign actors "reinforce our need for agencies like CSIT to develop strong capabilities that will support our security agencies and keep Singapore safe".

SM Teo highlighted the importance of growing Singapore's pool of cybersecurity experts to meet the demands of the future, and announced the launch of a new CSIT Cyber Traineeship Programme (CCTP) that "will help Singaporeans capture new opportunities presented by the digital economy and contribute to our national defence and security."

Mr Goh Wei Boon, Chief Executive, CSIT, said, "Singapore's security is not a given, especially in this increasingly complex and at times volatile world. We need talents with a passion for tech, who have a heart for the nation, to work with us in fulfilling our mission of national security".

The CCTP will provide opportunities for Singaporeans with no prior experience or formal training in cybersecurity to embark on a career in the cybersecurity field, and aims to train close to 100 fresh graduates and mid-career professionals over the next three years. Trainees will undergo a paid, full-time, seven-month intensive training course where they will pick up skills such as Python programming, penetration testing, and network forensics. They will also be mentored by cybersecurity specialists from CSIT throughout the training period and be placed in a permanent role in CSIT upon successful completion of the programme.

SM Teo also viewed the exhibits which showcased CSIT's digital innovations in cybersecurity, data analytics, software engineering, cloud infrastructure and services. He was accompanied at the event by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, and senior officials from MINDEF.