Singapore to set up national cyber security centre

Singapore will be setting up a new National Cyber Security Centre that will monitor the cyberspace to detect and prevent attacks from hackers and criminals. -- PHOTO: NP
By Kor Kian Beng

An increasingly wired Singapore is setting up a new National Cyber Security Centre to boost its ability in thwarting potential attacks on its cyberspace presence and critical infocommunications systems, such as power grids. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the new centre when he opened a global security dialogue here on Wednesday evening and set out what this centre will do specifically. It will enhance the Government's capabilities in early detection and prevention of cyber security threats, and serve as a focal point to coordinate and implement measures between the public and private sectors. Explaining the need for the new centre, Mr Teo said: 'A safe and functioning cyberspace is critical to our society, economy and national security. The frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks will continue to grow, and so must our capabilities and response plans.'

Chinese scholar Sun Xu faces NUS disciplinary board

By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom Tue, Mar 13, 2012 View Photo

Chinese scholar Sun Xu faces the school's disciplinary committee. (Yahoo! file photo)

National University of Singapore (NUS) Chinese scholar Sun Xu, who wrote a blog post insulting Singaporeans, has been brought in front of the schools disciplinary committee on Tuesday.

A NUS spokesperson said the school initiates disciplinary proceedings against students who may have breached the University's Code of Student Conduct and is looking into Sun's derogatory comment posted on his blog on 18 February.

Sun roused the ire of Singaporeans when he wrote "there are more dogs than humans in Singapore.

The Board of Discipline (BOD), comprising senior academics as well as representatives of the NUS Students Union, is reviewing the matter and will decide on the disciplinary action to be taken.

Sun will be informed of the BOD's decision about one to two weeks after the inquiry. If he decides to appeal against the BOD's decision, he has up to 14 days to do so. Student disciplinary appeals are considered by the Disciplinary Appeals Board (DAB), which is chaired by a senior member of the University leadership and comprises senior academics separate from the BOD. The DABs decision is final.

In accordance with NUSs disciplinary processes, the disciplinary outcomes will be kept confidential until the entire due disciplinary process, including the process for appeal, is completed, said NUS.

Three youths arrested for posting racist remarks on Facebook

Posted: 03 February 2010 2207 hrs

Facebook. According to a police statement, extensive enquiries were made to establish the identity of the suspects, after a police report was made on January 30. All three Chinese youths, aged 17 to 18 years, were arrested the next day and have since been released on bail. Investigations are on-going. Under the Sedition Act, anyone found guilty of "promoting feelings of ill-will and hostility between races or classes of the Singapore population" may be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to three years, if this is his or her first offence. - CNA/ir

Poly student in trouble over racially insensitive tweet

A 20-year-old Nanyang Polytechnic student is in hot soup after she posted a tweet meant only for the eyes of her friends. On Sunday, the young woman posted a racially insensitive comment that spread quickly on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter yesterday. She thought it was a private message in which she complained about her experience in a crowded train. But her friends reposted her tweet. Reactions to her posting came fast and furious, with one TNP reader filing a police report at Yishun North Neighbourhood Police Centre last night. Others felt they needed to hear the students explanation.

Singaporean youths still lacking in cyber wellness

Although Singaporean teens spend an average of 17.2 hours on the Internet each week, most of them don't know much about cyber-wellness, defined as being responsible, respectful and rational, as well as being alert to scams and how to protect themselves. Some say they have lost control over how much time they spend online and think life without the Internet is meaningless and depressing. Most also do not report any illegal activity they may come across online while others do not know what is legal and what is not. Many also exhibited ignorance about copyright laws. These were among the findings from a preliminary report released by the social work organisation, Fei Yue Community Services, yesterday on a cyberwellness research on Singapore's youth. The study was supported by the National Youth Council and targeted 1, 218 Secondary 1 to 3 students. The poll was aimned at assessing the awareness levels of local students to Internet safety. The irony is that most students polled believe they are street-smart in cyberspace. The findings, in fact, show that Singapore youths are not using the Internet optimally and adopting cyber wellness practices. The report was released to mark Safer Internet Day observed at the Orchard Road branch of the National Library today. The event is a worldwide effort to raise awareness among the younger generations about the dangers of the Internet, as well as to educate them on proper use of the technology. According to the Cyber Wellness Task Force (CWTF) report in 2004, cyber wellness is: "The positive well-being of Internet users and a healthy cyber culture for the Internet community. "It involves the understanding of the risks of harmful online behaviour, an awareness of how to protect oneself and others from such behaviour, and a recognition of the power of the Internet to affect oneself and

the community at large." Singapore's blog and e-counselling portal, www.Gen.org.sg, defines cyber wellness as being astute, having respect and responsibility, embracing the Net while inspiring others, and possessing balance. The research by Fei Yue was carried out from March - July 2006. Findings are as follows:

Teenagers here spend an average of 17.2 hours per week online. 72 per cent of students indicated that their parents knew how to use the Internet. 49 per cent of parents never check the websites visited by their children. 10 per cent of parents often use Internet filters. 67 per cent of parents are unaware of their children's passwords to sites. 10 per cent of students sometimes feel depressed, moody or nervous when offline. 2 per cent sometimes fear that life would be boring, empty and joyless without the Internet. 17 per cent (207 students) indicated that they had met people whom they got to know online. 90 per cent would not pay to download files off the Internet. An overwhelming majority of respondents never or rarely reported illegal online activities of others.

Fei Yue researchers say that to most, the Internet is a platform for self-expression and chatting rather than as channels for effecting positive differences in society. From focus group discussions, findings also indicate that in terms of their ability to control time spent online, the students quizzed admitted that they did not have a good control over this. Perhaps most lacking was the awareness about copyright issues. Some teenagers gave responses like "..it was free. It should be free", as a reason for being unwilling to pay for downloaded material. "If it's on the Internet, it's not illegal 'cauz if it's illegal, it would have been taken off already," was another's response. Internet gaffes, notwithstanding, the findings also revealed that when it comes to chatting with friends, the youths still go for the telephone or mobile phone. Asked why, many respondents said some topics are hard to explain online and to hear a person's voice was still the best way to gauage how the person expresses a point or idea. On the students' view that they are street smart in cyberspace, Ms Helen Sim, centre coordinator for Fei Yue, says: "Their idea of being 'ok' is actually pretty dubious." Fei Yue highly encourages the involvement of parents in building cyber wellness among youths. Says Ms Sim: "The Internet is seen as a bad medium by parents. There have been too many horror stories." As such, some parents may have a "blanket disapproval" of the Internet or any sites deemed illegal, she adds. If their children were to report illegal activities they have come across like piracy, these parents may simply chastise their kids for going online and surfing the site in the first place. Such actions only serve to make communication between child and parent regarding cyber wellness, difficult. Fei Yue offers some solutions to the overall findings of the research: Balance

Help teenagers manage their Internet Usage. Equip them with good time management skills. Create more avenues that encourage offline leisure activities for teenagers.

Astuteness

Educate youth on the potential risks in cyberspace.

Respect and Responsibility

Inculcate the same values of respect online as one would apply to others offline. Encourage more education in the area of legal and illegal online activities through the provision of informative pamphlets or handbooks written for youth. Provide information about the various authorities and avenues for help when youths come across

illegal activities

Get parents to communicate with their children about online responsibility.

Embracing the Internet and Inspiring Others

Schools can initiate projects that allow students to use their computing knowledge to serve their communities or help other students.

Overall, Fei Yue says Singapore has focused primarily on equipping students with the 'hard skills'. Given the pervasiveness of technology and how quickly young children are able to adapt and pick up PC skills, this area is well taken care of. What society needs to concentrate on are the "soft skills" of the young, namely, weaving in the concept of cyber wellness into the curriculum, as well as educating parents on how to cultivate such skills in their children, says the community service. Fei Yue plans to conduct workshops at the grassroots level to drive home the cyber wellness message. Pamphlets and handouts given to students should also be "reader-friendly" and done in a way that would appeal to youths. The organisation's next project will be to poll parents on the same issue.

NUS students aware of social media consequences

Written by Paul Lim Photo by Paul Lim NUS students have indicated that they will continue with their online social media habits despite recent legal problems arising in cyberspace. First, three Singaporean youths were arrested on Feb. 3 for allegedly posting racist comments on social networking site Facebook. Then, a pastor from Lighthouse Church was questioned later in February by the Internal Security Department for his sermons posted on the video-sharing site YouTube. In a straw poll conducted by the NUSpaper, 12 out of 15 students said they always practise selfregulation when participating in online social networks. Almost all said they do not post content that may have unintended consequences on others. Cedric Sia, a fourth-year communications and new media major, said he was not worried and will continue with his online habits. The incident does not affect my using the Internet, because Ive always known that the authorities monitor such channels. It just serves as a reminder for us to be sure not to post racist comments online. Fourth-year civil engineering student Joh Kia Boon said that self-regulation is needed for any form of web presence. By posting something online, we are subjecting ourselves to scrutiny from anyone with access to the Internet, be it the authorities or other individuals. We should be aware that our actions are constantly being monitored, she said. Communications and New Media (CNM) department's media law lecturer Elizabeth Cardoza said that government officials have the authority to enter online portals if they are suspicious of criminal activities. The learning point for youngsters is that they cant presume everything is watertight. Not everything is a private space, she said. Even a private space can be looked at in terms of suspicious activities. However, some students said the law was vague in how it handled such matters. Mohd Shahid, fourth-year mechanical engineering student, raised the incident of Pastor Rony Tan as an example. Yes, the situation still seems very vague and grey. The pastor was questioned by the Internal Security Department, while the three boys were detained by the police, he said. In my opinion, it is

still not clear how the law defines these issues, and there seems to be a lack of transparency in the way these cases are handled. Some students speculated that there may be a reason for such legal vagueness. Dennis Lim, a fourth-year chemistry major, said it could be a deliberate attempt by the government to have some leeway to play around with the law. It appears a mystery why some groups are targeted all the time while others arent, he said. Cardoza explained that such ambiguity was due to the lack of personal privacy laws in Singapore. We have to go into the nitty-gritty. We need to be clearer so that it will guide the younger generation, she said. When will it cross the line? When will it be considered insulting? Sofia Morales, lecturer for a cybercrime module in CNM, added that this ambiguity might have contributed to students having the wrong perception of how much freedom of expression Singapore allows. We have misunderstood that it is a universal value. It is not. Its not allowed in many countries, especially in Singapore. Even in Europe, it is quite serious, she said. Coupled with the fact that everything can be recorded on the Internet, posting personal opinions is especially dangerous. Even though you take down your information, the copies are there, Morales said. So far, there have been a few initiatives by the university to educate students on how to better utilise the Internet and social media networks. CNMs social media module, which allows students to explore topics in the design, communication and impact of social media, is one such example. Module lecturer Giorgos Cheliotis said the module explored issues relating to students selfpresentation and about how information can travel across networks. This helps them be more aware and more critical of what they post online, and whom they post it to, he said. With regards to political activism, he said, I do see in general that younger Singaporeans are becoming more outspoken. They do use their opportunities they have in social media and other platforms to express themselves on political issues. They seem to be quite Internet-savvy, but, yes, you will have cases where people are being seditious in their postings.

Digiteen Area of Awareness: Individual Awareness

Digital citizenship is an emphasis on individual awareness deals with individuals using technology and the knowledge behind what they are doing pertaining to their behavior online. A good example of being unsafe is giving out your email and having your profile open to everyone online. Another example is talking to people you don't know and interacting with them. Another example is making a page that doesn't exist and acting older than you really are. Putting your full name can also be unsafe on all public sites where anyone you don't know can find you. Some ways to be safe are to restrict those who can see what you post online. If you leave your content open for everyone to see, they can use your profile against you. Another way to be safe is to make sure you are using a credible site that requires a membership for certain access to things. Other ways to be safe on the internet is to not put these things out in the open for others to see. Your birthdate is a critical part to your identity. Also your address - they don't need to know where you live and you certainly don't need stalkers or burglars to know where you live. Your vacation plans - if someone wants to burglarize your home, you're basically giving them the blueprint to your time-frame. Lastly, your mother's maiden name - it is another crucial part to your identity.

You should never give enough information that could allow someone to locate you. You should also prevent yourself from posting locations that you will be at and at what times, because then people will know when you are not home and could use that information against you. http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide/parent-guide

Individual Awareness for Parents and Community

Individual Awareness is important for all people going onto the Internet. Know your goals for life and what you value. If someone doesn't have good individual awreness some of the best people to help are their parents.

How Parents can Help and What to Look Out for

If a child is online a lot, mainly at night, they could be communicating to a online predator and parents should try to be more aware of what their child is doing on the Internet. If that child begins to quickly turn off the screen when you try to see what they're doing, getting packages from strangers, or even getting phone-calls from people you don't know, you should spend a lot of time talking to your child about individual awareness.Remember that parents are some of the best people to help raise child individual awareness and individual awareness is important. Sources: "FBI Parent Guide to Internet Safety." FBI Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2011. http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide/parent-guide. "Home Violence Against Women Online Resources (VAWOR)." Home Violence Against Women Online Resources (VAWOR). N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. http://www.vaw.umn.edu/.

http://www.vaw.umn.edu/. http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide/parent-guide Individual awareness is being aware. Don't give out things that let people know who you are or where you live. Don't tell people your private information. People can use your information against you. It's important to be safe and not let people see your information. With so much stuff like computers, it's easy to be unsafe. People can take your email and private information. I think that individual awareness is being aware as an individual. I think it means that you need to be aware of what goes on around you and to know what is right for you to do and what is wrong for you to do. In order to be aware individually you need to understand your surroundings. I feel that individual use of the internet is very important in learning about the world. It is also very dangerous to be alone on the internet because you might give away too much information about yourself. This is bad because people on Facebook share there address phone number and what they look like. With all the cyber-stalkers out there individuals have to be careful not to give too much information about ourselves publicly or with friends we dont know so well. They could be very different from there picture or what they say can be a huge lie. Individual Awareness is very important to me. It helps all people on the web. Being aware and safe are two big things that you need in your life. Being safe is important so creepy people can't get you. If the creepy people get you lots of bad things can happen. The awareness part is where saftey comes in. Be aware of phony looking websites asking for your information. Also, never ever ever give your adress to anybody. If they know your adress they can come and hurt you. internet people are scary and want to hurt you. i feel that individual use of the internet is very important to learn about the world. It is also very dangerous to be alone on the internet because you might give away to much information about yourself. Alot of people want pictures of you and your info but dont do it. The internet social networking sites have age limits like for Facebook for

example, people need to be 13 and older to be on Facebook. It is dangerous if you are younger and still on the site because anyone can find you unless there are privacy settings. http://digiteen.ning.com/profile/MatthewBCSRN

Case Studies
People have been affected because they were not safe on the internet and they have been hurt or kidnapped from there house or something. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23813217internet-users-warned-over-meeting-strangers-after-girl-was-kidnapped-raped-and-murdered.do here is a sight that shows you what meeting someone on the internet can do.

Students are endangering themselves and others with their actions on the internet. Teenagers are putting themselves in danger on the internet and most of them may not even realize it.

Global Digital Citizen Code of Behavior

Don't meet anyone that you talk to on the internet in person Don't give out a lot of information on social networks

Core Competency Areas

These are the areas that relate to this awareness. Research groups will look at the topic as it relates to this area of awareness. Please click the edit button on each section instead of that at the top of the page.

Safety
Ways to stay safe online 1. Learn to establish boundaries online, decide how much time you should spend on the Internet each day, ask your parents for permission before you go online and figure out what you can and cannot do. After you get used to the internet ask your parents for less strict boundaries and to remember your boundaries you could leave it next to your computer. Don't share your password with anyone else. Get your parents permission before you post any information about yourself online. Double-check the URL so when you click ENTER you would go where you wanted to go not somewhere else. Check with your parents or another adult you trust before going into a chat room. Different chat rooms have different rules and different types of people going to them.

2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

You and your parents want to make sure it is an appropriate place for you before you enter. If something you see or read online makes you uncomfortable, leave the site. Tell a parent or a teacher right away. Never send a picture of yourself (or anything else) to someone in e-mail unless your parents say it is okay. If you receive unwanted, offensive, mean, threatening, or harassing e-mail, do not respond to it. Tell your parents or another adult right away. Remember: not everything you read on the Internet is true. Don't give out your age without checking with your parents first. Never give out your full name (first and last). Don't give out your first name without checking with your parents or another adult first. Never give out your home address over the Internet. Ask your parents or an adult before signing up for anything online. Don't give out your credit card number (or anyone else's) without permission from a parent. Remember, when you are online, what you do is up to you. Don't do anything you don't want to do. Don't upload pictures of yourself that could give away your location. Don't let others know when you are away from your house because people would know when your house is vulnerable then.

What you put on the internet will never be taken off and we should censor what we put on the internet to make them sound like they are an upstanding person. If you are making a purchase you need to verify your sale with the seller. You can get addicted to technology an example would be every moring I wake up and turn on the tv and watch sportscenter and check my email you can not make a critical part of your life it should just be a part of your life and not your whole life . Technology can be distracting because if you have homework to do or something you have to do that is important it can get in your way and distract you and it will take more time to accomplish the task at hand. Technology can have a negative impact on our health if we over use it or we make it become too much of our life.

Opening Address by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts at the Information Security Seminar
Opening Address by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts at the Information Security Seminar on 13 April 2011, 9.05am, Grand Copthorne Waterfront

"Charting New Frontiers, Information Security As An Enabler"

Mr Gerard Tan President, Association of Information Security Professionals Ms Shirley Wong Co-Chair, Cyber Security Awareness Alliance Ladies and Gentlemen, 1. Good morning. I am pleased to join you today at this year's Information Security Seminar. Today, we also celebrate the inaugural Cyber Security Awareness Day in Singapore.

Infocomm Security Climate

2. The proliferation of computers is visibly apparent in Singapore, with over 84 per cent of households having access to a computer at home, and over 82 per cent of households with Internet access at home today. Many have jumped on the social networking bandwagon, but not all of us realise that cyber attacks use social networking to gain access to sensitive corporate and personal information. In this regard, end-users have

become a critical component in the security equation and are often our first line of defence against these malicious activities.

Singapore's 1st Cyber Security Awareness Day

3. To augment and strengthen cyber security awareness and adoption in Singapore, various outreach efforts are carried out throughout the year. One example is today's Information Security Seminar. This seminar is also made more significant as it marks the inaugural Cyber Security Awareness Day in Singapore. Championed by the Cyber Security Awareness Alliance, the aim is to raise infocomm security awareness and remind everyone of the need for personal responsibility in adopting simple and secure online practices, such as having stronger passwords. It is encouraging to note that we have received more than 300,000 pledges from the people, public and private sectors, each pledging to change their passwords to stronger ones. To some present here, you may think this is an obvious practice, but there can be many who do not realise the usefulness of this simple preventive measure. 4. The Cyber Security Awareness Alliance also maintains a portal, www.gosafeonline.sg, to further promote and inculcate safe infocomm practices. I encourage users to visit this one-stop resource centre to learn how to stay safe and secure online.

Continuous Effort to Secure Singapore's Cyberspace

5. Last year, the Symantec State of Enterprise Security Study found that 75 per cent of all enterprises have experienced cyber attacks in the past year, and 41 per cent of these attacks were effective in compromising systems. We have also seen entire nations and critical infrastructure being targeted, either through Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks, like the recent cyber attack on South Korea, or worms such as Stuxnet, which targeted control systems for power distribution. In fact, just last month, the European Union reported that the Commission and External Action Service was under a cyber attack on the eve of a summit in Brussels. Users were asked to change their passwords in response to this attack. International Collaboration and Outreach 6. In view of the cross-border nature of cyber threats, we have been holding regular exchanges and sharing information with our international counterparts. This is part of the Government's efforts to develop our nation's infocomm security capabilities and to enhance cyber security situational awareness. We had recently signed two collaborative agreements between the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and its counterpart agencies in Japan and the Republic of Korea. Such arrangements will enable our countries to share early and pertinent information about cyber threats, undertake joint development and training in enhancing technical capabilities, as well as enhance the security of our respective national infrastructure. Securing Singapore's Internet Infrastructure 7. Over the years, the Singapore Government has invested heavily in securing our critical systems to support key public services. As part of the Infocomm Security Masterplan, initiatives such as the Cyber Watch Centre have greatly enhanced our capability to detect malicious attacks and allow us to take pre-emptive actions to limit the business impact resulting from security incidents. 8. To further safeguard Singapore's position as a secure and trusted hub, IDA issued a Code of Practice in February this year to designated Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The Code mandates that ISPs will have to develop new capabilities to manage current and emerging cyber threats by ensuring that the right processes are in place. With this Code in place, the ISPs are required to participate in information sharing, which will allow them to adapt their defences accordingly. Infocomm Security Masterplan 2 Mid-Term Review 9. The key security capabilities developed under the first Infocomm Security Masterplan have served us well. The Cyber Watch Centre, the Association of Information Security Professionals, or AISP, and assessment of our critical infocomm systems in key sectors, are just some examples. Building on the first masterplan, the Infocomm Security Masterplan 2, or MP2, was developed with the aim to continue to enhance our capabilities to deal with the evolving cyber threat landscape. The earlier mentioned Code of Practice and collaborative agreements are part of MP2s initiatives. 10. Over the past nine months, IDA has engaged key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to undertake a mid-term review of the Masterplan, the reason being that we want to ensure the MP2 stays relevant and capable of securing our national infrastructure. Allow me to share key findings of the review. 11. One outcome of the review shows that there is a need to develop an over-arching national level view of the state of security across key economic sectors, so that enhanced situational awareness of cyber threats can be attained. MP2 will further expand upon our ability to safeguard sensitive corporate and personal information through a risk mitigation approach, to allow organisations to thrive in the face of evolving cyber threats. 12. There is also the need to emphasise on developing capabilities, to provide a pipeline of highly trained security professionals and practitioners. This can be done through partnering local universities and setting up advanced research programmes or centres. There should also be capacity building of all personnel in the area of infocomm security, for better informed decision-making. Finally, we need to focus on enhancing information sharing

between organisations. Information security rarely affects a single organisation, and having more information about the latest threats affecting other organisations can only make us more prepared.

Conclusion
13. In conclusion, infocomm security is a shared responsibility, and all of us have a role to play in engendering a secure infocomm environment for Singapore. The Cyber Security Awareness Day serves as a timely and important reminder to be personally accountable for infocomm security. We must have a strong foundation to leverage on infocomm security as a strategic enabler for Singapore's economic prosperity. 14. On this note, I wish you a fruitful seminar. Thank you.

Cyber Wellness
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About Cyber Wellness Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee (ICSC) Internet and Media Advisory Committee (INMAC) Once Upon A Cyberspace About Cyber Wellness The digital revolution particularly the advancement of mobile and digital technologies - has changed the way media is used. The new environment presents risks and pitfalls, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the digital world. Cyber wellness refers to the positive well-being of internet users and a healthy cyber culture for the Internet community. It involves an understanding of the risks of harmful online behaviour, an awareness of how to protect oneself and other Internet users from such behaviour, and a recognition of the power of the Internet to benefit oneself and the community at large. To encourage and promote safe, responsible use of the Internet and healthy gaming, MDA advocates a holistic public outreach approach to educate not just youth, but also educators, parents and the general public to raise the awareness as well as impart essential coping skills in evaluating what they read, see and hear in the media. MDA works closely with a number of partners from the public, people and private sectors to raise awareness on the core values of cyber wellness through various activities. In particular, MDA works closely with Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee (ICSC) and Internet and Media Advisory Committee (INMAC) in identifying and facilitating key cyber wellness initiatives. Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee (ICSC) Formed in February 2009, the ICSC comprises of representative members from MICA, MOE, MCYS, MINDEF, MHA, IDA as well as MDA. Focusing on public education, ICSC works on improving coordination across the various government agencies and partners from the peopleprivate sectors with regards to cyber wellness. The ICSC recognises the importance of a multi-prong collaborative approach involving publicpeople-private sectors. To provide greater support to the community, ICSC has launched a call for proposals on 30 November 2009. Successful proposals will receive a co-funding support from ICSC, through the $10 million fund which has been set aside for the scheme over the next five years Internet and Media Advisory Committee (INMAC) The INMAC comprises from representatives from industry and people sectors such as Hewlett Packard, SingTel, MediaCorp, StarHub, Nokia as well as TOUCH Community Services and Fei Yue Community Services. The members are active in the facilitation and promotion of media literacy and cyber wellness public education programmes. In addition, INMAC is also an advisory and consultative council that works closely with MDA and ICSC on key issues pertaining to media literacy, cyber wellness and related policies, issues and programmes.

Once Upon A Cyberspace

New media is becoming an inseparable part of the everyday lives of youth in Singapore. To raise the awareness on the importance of Internet safety among youth between the ages of 10 and 14 and their families MDA commissioned a special programme Once Upon A Cyberspace. The 3D animated series ran as six 1-minute interstitials on MediaCorps okto channel for six running weeks at the beginning of April 2009, highlighting situations where discerning and responsible use of new media and Internet should be cultivated. The series covered the following

issues:

Cyber-bullying
Game addiction Dangers of sharing personal information online (for example, in chat rooms), online socialisation (for example, making new friends via chat rooms) Invasion of privacy

Internet viruses