Singapore expands cybersecurity certification to cover AI, cloud, and OT
Singapore has expanded its Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust certification schemes to include cloud, AI, and operational technology security, helping organisations – especially SMEs – strengthen their cyber resilience amid growing digital adoption.
The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has expanded its Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust certification marks to include critical areas such as cloud security, AI, and operational technology (OT). The announcement was made on 15 April 2025 by Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How.
With Singaporean organisations rapidly adopting digital technologies beyond traditional IT, the expansion aims to provide clearer guidance for preventing cyber threats in these emerging domains. The updated Cyber Essentials now offers best practices to counter common attacks targeting cloud, AI, and OT, while Cyber Trust includes detailed risk assessment templates for the same.
The initiative should helps streamline cybersecurity requirements, particularly for SMEs. CSA supports eligible SMEs through its CISO-as-a-Service scheme and offers up to 70% co-funding for cybersecurity consultancy services.
The updated guidance includes real-world scenarios, such as mitigating threats from insecure APIs in cloud platforms or managing risks from Large Language Models (LLMs) in AI systems. For OT, emphasis is placed on handling legacy systems and preventing cross-network malware infections via third-party devices.
To promote awareness, CSA introduced a hands-on role-play activity, “Cyber Essentials in Action,” where participants responded to simulated cybersecurity incidents—now part of CSA’s free toolkits for organisations.
The government may require certification for organisations accessing sensitive data or bidding for contracts, underscoring the growing importance of these marks in securing Singapore’s digital future.
