Finnish cyber security expertise in Singapore

28.01.2019. Finnish cyber security expertise in Singapore – JAMK University of Applied Sciences and Singapore Polytechnic collaborating in Centre of Excellence in Applied Cyber Security.

JAMK University of Applied Sciences and Singapore Polytechnic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Singapore. The Parties wish to form a collaboration to jointly develop the SP-JAMK Centre of Excellence in Applied Cyber Security.

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Posting Results for the 2019 JAE out on Jan 31 - straitstimes.com

SINGAPORE - The posting results for the 2019 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) will be released on Jan 31 at 9am, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Thursday (Jan 24).

Applicants can obtain the results either through the JAE website (http://www.moe.gov.sg/admissions/joint-admissions-exercise) or by having SMSes sent to the mobile phone number provided during registration.

Those posted to a Junior College (JC) or the Millennia Institute (MI) are to report there on Feb 1 at 7.30am, while those posted to a polytechnic or an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) course will receive further instructions via an enrolment package that will be posted to them.

Source: straitstimes.com, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/posting-results-for-joint-admissions-exercise-to-be-released-on-jan-31

SP and JAMK - MOU Signing Ceremony

22 Jan 2019. Singapore Polytechnic and JAMK University of Applied Sciences, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by SP's Principal/CEO, Mr. Soh Wai Wah and JAMK's Rector/President, Prof. Jussi Halttunen, to setup a SP-JAMK Centre of Excellence in Applied Cyber Security to help companies build their cyber security readiness capabilities.

This collaboration provides an additional training platform to hone the skills of cyber security professionals and practitioners in this region.

Finnish Ambassador to Singapore, Her Excellency Paula Parvianen (left), witnessing the MOU signing. The MOU signatories are JAMK's Rector/President Prof. Jussi Halttunen (middle) and SP's Principal/CEO Mr. Soh Wai Wah (right).

Group photograph. Finland Education Minister, Her Excellency Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (fourth from right).

Diploma in Infocomm Security Management (S54) - Course Video

DISM Course Counselling @ SPCC

Do you have a burning question about Diploma in Infocomm Security Management (DISM) S54, poly education, further education or career choices open to you after O levels?

Visit us @  Singapore Polytechnic Convention Centre (SPCC) and talk to our course counsellors who will be most delighted to advise you.

What are the questions you should be asking:

- Scholarships available to course students (Examples: CSIT Diploma Scholarship, DSO Diploma Scholarship, IMDA SG:Digital Scholarship, Singapore Polytechnic Scholarship and Singtel Cyber Security Cadet Programme).
- Scholars from the course (NS: Not poly/school level but course level), such as the iPoly Scholarships  and National Infocomm Scholarships.
- Availability of learning facilities (NS: SP is the FIRST institute of higher learning to setup Cyber Wargame Centre)
- Continuing Education and Training (NS: SP is the FIRST institute of higher learning to setup Cyber Security Academy)
- Last aggregate score of the course (NS: Lower last aggregate score means better students in the cohort)
- Qualification and experience of lecturers (NS: IT security-related certifications that they hold)
- Cohort success rate (NS: Complete the course within the stipulated 3 year duration).
- Progression rate to universities (NS: How many students go to universities)
- IT security-related professional certifications for students (NS: Should be IT security-related and not other general networking certifications)

If you are a high-achiever, consider a course with a lower last aggregate score. In year 2018, DISM has a last aggregate score (LAS) of 10. With a lower last aggregate point, the learning experience will be more stimulating and exciting because you know the course will offer you the best potential, scope and knowledge. It also stretches you and your talent which eventually will offer you many open doors to move on to the next milestone.

So don't hesitate, choose Diploma in Infocomm Security Management (DISM) S54 as your FIRST CHOICE now.

If you have further questions, you can talk to our friendly course counsellors during the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) @ Singapore Polytechnic Convention Centre (SPCC) .

The Cyber Warrior - DISM Alumnus, Daniel Ho

Daniel Ho was interested in cyber-security at a young age. As smart devices and internet banking became mainstream, he began to wonder about the security measures behind these technological devices.

Daniel Ho, DISM Graduation Class of 2016.

SP’s Diploma in Infocomm Security Management was Daniel’s first choice after ‘O’ Levels. He was fascinated by SP Cyber Wargame Centre, a simulated environment where students learn forensics investigation and defend against cyber-attacks.

Upon receiving the DSO Diploma Scholarship, Daniel did a six-month internship as a defense researcher, working on projects related to network forensics and malware detection software. Daniel and team also worked with worked with the DSO National Laboratories to develop an application that could scan and remove viruses from PDF files. His project was showcased at the national GovernmentWare conference and exhibition in 2015.

A Public Service Commission scholar today, Daniel attributes his achievement to SP and hopes to craft policies that will safeguard our information technology networks.

Source: https://openhouse.sp.edu.sg/the-cyber-warrior/

What you need to know about Diploma in Infocomm Security Managemet (DISM, S54)

Diploma Course
Studying for an IT security-related diploma is a significant investment of your time, money and resources. It is better to understand the value that you would be able to generate with the course. The information provided here is to help all students to make the correct decision.

Key Points about DISM
Below are the three key points about DISM course.

1. Broad-based Curriculum
The Curriculum plays a major role in the learning process. DISM focuses on three main skill sets: Offensive, Defensive and Investigative.

The first year includes the general curriculum where students establish the fundamentals of information technology. These modules include fundamentals of programming, fundamentals of computing, network fundamentals, linux administration & security, etc. The second year has more security related modules such as Ethical Hacking and Defences, Applied Cryptography, Digital Forensics & Investigation, etc. Third year is the most crucial year when you put all the skills and knowledge together to do your final year project plus some modules.

2. Lots of Programming Assignments 
The misconception students have is that they assume that the course has minimal programming requirements. In actual fact, programming knowledge and skills are very important in this course. As such, students need to prepare themselves and have the correct expectations before they begin to feel the pressure of the requirements from the modules' assignments, especially to those who did not like programming modules.

3. Lots of Stress
It can be quite stressful during term time as students are required to go through the curriculum and meeting all the assessment requirements of modules.

So, which course? 
Consider your interest, your academic strengths, your desired career, and the diploma course that would help you reach your aims and career goals.

Sixteen year-old entrepreneur dreams big - Dalton Ng, DISM Student

At 16 years old, Dalton Ng is already running his own start-up, Agrate, a hub that houses his mobile apps that can help students in their studies.

The first year, Diploma in Infocomm Security Management (DISM) student started his self-learning journey of mobile application development after he stumbled upon a programming book at 11 years old.

He then went on to create his first app – SST Gradulator – in Secondary One, which helped students from the School of Science and Technology (SST) track their grades and encouraged them to set and hit targets for their students. His interest spurred him to work on many other programming projects.

After his O’s, he decided to enrol in Singapore Polytechnic due to the strong course content which can allow him to hone his skills in cyber security, and leapfrog his start-up through the SP accelerator entrepreneurship programme.

He hopes to use Agrate as a platform to help prepare the young for jobs of the future, where programming will be a huge focus. He also looks forward to having his curriculum accredited by Apple and local education bodies.

The young developer recently attended Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) after securing a scholarship from them – he is one of the 350 recipients from 42 countries.

Source: https://openhouse.sp.edu.sg/sixteen-year-old-entrepreneur-dreams-big/

SP Joint Admission Exercise (JAE) 2019

The Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) coordinated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) is for Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'O' Level holders.

Registration for courses opens at 3.00pm on the day of the release of the 'O' Level results and lasts for 6 calendar days. The JAE booklet (application procedures, information on entry requirements, etc.) will be made available to you when you collect your 'O' Level results.

Course CounsellingCourse counselling will be available at JAE Centre (SP Convention Centre).

[SP Convention Centre]

Course Consultants from the various Schools and Admissions staff will be on hand to advise prospective students. Counselling will begin at 3.00 pm on the day of the release of the results.

FIVE (5) Things You Probably Didn't Know About Our Course (DISM)

1. DISM is different from secondary school because …
Unlike a typical classroom lesson, lessons here are pretty much hands on! At DISM, we train you to combat cyber crime by putting you through different scenarios of cyber crime. Each scenario has its own set of challenges and you will have to adopt different strategies to solve them. We also have a league competition where students pit their skills against one another and are awarded points on completion of each scenario. Apart from winning points, students often feel a great sense of achievement once they have conquered a scenario!

2. A lot of your time will be spent in …
The Cyber Wargame Centre! As the name suggests, it is literally a game of war in cyberspace. During lessons, you will be given cyber crime scenarios to tackle. In every scenario, there will always be the good guys (defenders), the bad guys (attackers) and the cops (investigators). You will play any one of these roles and will attempt to penetrate enemy defences, defend yourself against intruders, or be the detective to find out how and why the cyber crime took place.

3. A lot of your time will be spent on …
Finding security vulnerabilities! This is where you start looking for loopholes in computer systems - both your own and others. Once you have discovered these loopholes, you’ll then have to figure out how to “patch” these holes up. In the professional world, companies often conduct security assessments to test the strength of their security network and to plug any gaps that they might find.

4. The fun thing about DISM is …
You’ll get to play the role of cyber cop! By playing detective, you’ll enter a cyber crime situation to find out how and why the crime could have happened. Once you have found the answers, you will then be able to advise people on how to prevent similar situations from happening.

5. To do well in this profession, you must be able to…
Work in a group and under stress! You will often be working in a team to stop cybercrime, so your ability to communicate with your teammates could determine the success or failure of the mission. Also, cybercrimes must be stopped quickly. It is therefore important that you work quickly and not lose focus!

Choosing an Infocomm Security Diploma Course

Diploma Course
Studying for an infocomm security diploma is a significant investment of your time, money and resources. It is better to understand the value that you would be able to generate with the course. A common concern seen among students is the choice between Infocomm Security Management versus  IT security centric (network security or forensics focused) diploma courses. There is no one fit solution for all students. You have to consider various factors before selecting one over the other including their track records.

Background
The background of a student plays the most important role in choosing the diploma course. For example, students with interests and strong foundation in networking would naturally choose network security related diploma course. But many students who just completed their GCE “O” level may not have yet to realise their area of interest and may not be able to decide on which course to choose. For those students who are interested in IT security, it is advisable to build their foundations before they move on to specialise in a specific IT security field.

Holistic Education
SP's holistic education equips students with a total skill set, consisting of technical skills, knowledge skills and soft skills. This is done through our unique scenario-based training in DISM which will develop critical thinking skills of students and help them to become a life-long learner. The general education (GenEd) emphasises the cultivation of life-skills such as teamwork, resilience, problem-solving and decision-making. The education and career guidance (ECG) provides a structured and comprehensive system to help you make better and informed education and career choices in school and beyond graduation.

Broad-based Curriculum
The Curriculum plays a major role in the learning process. DISM focuses on three main skill sets: Offensive, Defensive and Investigative. The first year include the general curriculum where students establish the fundamentals of information technology that includes fundamentals of computing, fundamentals of programming, networking fundamentals, linux administration & security, computer law and investigation, etc.

The second year has more security related modules such as Ethical Hacking and Defences, Applied Cryptography, Digital Forensics and Investigation, securing Linux, securing Microsoft windows, etc. Third year is the most crucial year when you put all the skills and knowledge together to do your final year project plus some modules including Malware Reverse Engineering and Security Policy & Incident Management.

Career Goals
The essays and Interviews would have forced you to think about your career goals in detail. When you are being asked about your career aspiration, you would be expected to think of something related to your long-term and short-term career goals, as well as objectives, based on your career path planning. It is very important for one to plan ahead. If you choose a diploma course that is too specific (such as network security or forensics centric) at the early stage, you have to consider the job prospects and opportunities. In other words, your choice of jobs will be limited.

In Singapore, almost all IT security related jobs require the practitioners to be multi-skilled, that is, the ability to perform multiple IT security related tasks in a single job. So it means that DISM's broad-based training gives you the competitive edge you need to secure a job.

Post-Diploma Options 
Diploma holders have many pathways. The common belief among students is that one should go for a bachelor degree in a University. However, the degree route may not be the immediate choice to some of the diploma graduates due to factors such as financial and other constraints. One of the post-diploma options is to enrol into an Earn and Learn Programme (ELP).

Under the SkillsFuture, the Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) in Cyber Security is one of the many options that DISM students can consider. It is a work-study programme that provides student on-the-job training while studying for a Specialist Diploma in Cyber Security, that equips participants with advanced skillsets in Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Forensics Investigation. Singapore Polytechnic is the programme manager appointed by the relevant authorities to run the Specialist Diploma in Cyber Security (ELP).

So, which course? 
Consider your interest, your academic strengths, post-diploma options, your desired career, and the diploma course that would help you reach your career goals.

Choose Diploma in Infocomm Security Management (DISM) S54.

Cyber Security Demonstration during SPOH 2019

Our DISM Students presenting to the visitors during SPOH 2019 at Cyber Wargame Centre (CWC).

Students presenting to visitors

Sample of phishing email.

Ransomware in action!

The demonstration aimed to raise the cyber security awareness of the visitors and to educate them on the cyber threats currently faced by the internet users. Most importantly, it hoped to provide information on how to avoid Phishing emails and other cyber scam tactics.

GCE O-level results to be released on Jan 14 - moe.gov.sg

SINGAPORE - The results of the 2018 GCE O-level examination will be released on Monday (Jan 14).

In a press release on Monday (Jan 7), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said school candidates may collect their results from their schools at 2pm on 14 January 2019.

Private candidates will be notified of their results by post on the same day. They can also obtain their results online, via the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board's website, using their SingPass account.

Source: https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/release-of-2018-singapore-cambridge-gce-o-level-examination-results-and-2019-joint-admissions-exercise

SP IS AWESOME - The rumours are true.

SP IS AWESOME

The rumours are true - SP is a pretty awesome place to be in. Not convinced that SP rules?

Click this link to see more possibilities.

SP Parents' Forum 2019

With over 60 years of experience, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) has helped to nurture over 200,000 graduates, many of whom are now successful professionals.

Sign up now at this link for an informative talk on Poly education at SP and join us on a guided tour to an academic school of your choice:
SP Parents' Forum 2019.

Singapore Polytechnic Open House - SPOH2019

Learn more about the 43 full-time offered by SP, tour our facilities and gain insights into campus at the SP Open House from 10 to 12 January 2019!

For more information, please visit: Singapore Polytechnic Open House 2019.