Mr Darren Teo, Chief Executive, Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies
Colonel Clarence Cai, Defence Cyber Chief/Commander, Defence Cyber Command, Digital and Intelligence Service
Mr Lee Peck Ping, Principal, Hwa Chong Institution
Teachers and students,
1. A very good afternoon to all the participants of Cyberthon 2025. Over the past month, you have attended trainings and taken online tutorials to prepare yourself for the competition. I congratulate you on your efforts, and hope that you have challenged yourself, deepened your skills, and made new friends through the trainings and competition.
2. As we celebrate your achievements today, it is important to recognise the critical role each of you can play in a world that is becoming more connected and, as a result, more vulnerable. Cybersecurity is no longer the concern of IT departments alone. It is a national imperative—critical to protecting our economy, our institutions, and our daily lives. We have seen how cyberattacks have grown more sophisticated and frequent. They can inflict severe damages such as financial losses, operational disruptions and security risks.
3. That is why fostering a strong cybersecurity culture is so important. We must develop habits that safeguard not only ourselves but the broader digital ecosystem we live in. Simple actions—such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, verifying sources before clicking links – go a long way in preventing breaches. We also need continued investment in cybersecurity awareness, education, and talent development.
4. To prepare our youth for a future marked by growing cybersecurity threats in the digital world, the Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the "Transforming Education through Technology" Masterplan 2030, which strives to develop students' digital literacy and technological skills needed to thrive in this new world. The Cyberthon complements MOE's efforts to foster students' digital competencies and nurture young talents in cybersecurity.
- I am happy to announce that this year, the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT), has taken a further step to introduce the CSIT Young Talent Programme. This is a masterclass programme for winners of Cyberthon to experience real-world sophisticated challenges and learn advanced cybersecurity skills, such as vulnerability discovery and red teaming. Those who demonstrate strong technical aptitude during the CYTP will be offered provisional CSIT undergraduate scholarships.
- Cyberthon also featured a new Cyber Slay segment this year, where students race against time to solve deeply technical cybersecurity problems. This fast-paced 30-minute individual competition developed by CSIT engineers serves to identify the top-performing student. I heard that competition was intense and we will soon find out who earned the Cyber Slay title in a few moments.
- I thank the CSIT and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) for their continued efforts to stretch our students with new programmes to equip them with skills and stay relevant to the constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape.
5. To all participants, regardless of the competition outcome, your resilience, problem-solving skills, and ability to work well together under pressure will put you in good stead to tackle potential cybersecurity challenges in the future. I hope that you will continue to deepen your digital skills, stay curious, and never stop learning. The digital world needs bright and vigilant minds like yours to keep our cyber space secure.
6. Thank you.