S'pore government to secure desktops

SINGAPORE--The government has appointed Frontline Technologies to build, implement and manage desktop firewall solutions for its public sector agencies over three years.

The Centrally Administered Desktop Firewall project, worth an estimated S$6 million (US$3.6 million), is aimed at enhancing cyber security in the island-state's public sector, the Singapore-based Frontline said in a statement.

Frontline noted that the office worker's desktop system was typically a weak link in the security chain, and security measures for these systems is necessary to complement other solutions such as intrusion detection systems, gateway firewalls and antivirus software.

In April, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) announced that it will set aside S$1.5 billion (US$895.2 million) for standardizing desktop and network components across public sector agencies. The spending included desktop security packages, a senior IDA executive had noted.

According to Frontine, the firewall, which comes with antispyware capabilities, will first be installed in 25,000 desktops.

The technology provider will also conduct road shows from next month to encourage more government agencies to adopt the security solution.