According to the ISC2 2023 Cybersecurity Workforce  Study, the Asia Pacific region alone has accumulated a gap of 2.67 million cybersecurity professionals – with Singapore contributing an estimated gap of close to 4,000 workers that is needed on top of the present 76,942 professionals in the city-state. Globally, given the current macroeconomic climate, there have been quite a few cutbacks on cybersecurity professionals and teams that have further exacerbated this gap, with 61% of professionals sharing how this has led to a skills gap in their cybersecurity teams. Furthermore, 35% of the cybersecurity professionals surveyed also shared that there has been a cut in cybersecurity training programs within their organizations.

The Sentinel Programme was first piloted by the DIS in 2022 in selected schools¹. 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 Polytechnic², 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 the future.” 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 Challenge³ 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.

³The 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.