A VIRULENT computer worm that recently infected computer networks overseas was headed this way - only to be stopped in its tracks by a local cyber watchdog.

It hardly made a dent because the Cyber-WatchCentre was on patrol. It raised the alarm among the information security community here, which did the needful to keep the worm out.

The centre declined to give more details.

Keeping a round-the-clock watch for potential cyber-threats to the nation's critical infrastructure like financial or health-care networks - and fixing their weak spots - has been its job since it went live last month.

The centre, one of the linchpins of Singapore's first three-year Infocomm Security Masterplan in 2005, will soon get more teeth.

The next Infocomm Security Masterplan, good for the next five years, was announced yesterday by Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Vivian Balakrishnan.

Expected to be released next year, it will focus on working with information security agencies from around the world to identify and counter 'borderless' cyber-threats presented by worms and hackers.

This will mean that the centre will get even earlier warnings of impending attacks.

Citing a report last month by security firm Symantec, Dr Balakrishnan noted that the number of computers hacked into around the world jumped 30 per cent in the second half of last year.

He added that only by keeping cyber-threats at bay could Singapore build 'a secure and trusted environment for the creation of new value-added services' that will run on the nation's upcoming super-fast broadband network.

The minister was the guest of honour at an annual security seminar organised by technology industry regulator Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Ministry of Finance.

To date, Singapore has signed an agreement with France to work together on cyber-security. Similar tie-ups are being worked out with countries including Japan, South Korea and Britain, said an IDA spokesman.

Giving an update on the first masterplan, civil service head Peter Ho said that an audit of the security of all public sector agencies, to be completed by next month, will enable the Government to identify areas for improvement.

The Government has also completed a feasibility study into a 'national authentication framework' for businesses and consumers. When implemented, the system will be able to verify a user's identity online - which will boost merchants' and customers' confidence in online transactions, he said.

This article first appeared in ST on April 18, 2007