What Does a Day in Cybersecurity Look Like? - Meet Seng Boon, Senior IT Security and Risk Manager for ALPS Healthcare
Seng Boon, a Senior Manager at the Agency of Logistics and Procurement Services, dedicates his day to IT security and risk management matters during procurement activities, ensuring compliance with regulatory and security standards. His role focuses on evaluating and managing risks across various systems and processes, providing the analytical foundation that keeps healthcare technology secure and compliant.
Building Confidence through Data-Driven Security
Through comprehensive security and risk assessments, Seng Boon provides teams with data-driven assurance about their systems' resilience. This boosts their confidence to innovate whilst maintaining robust security controls, enabling teams to make informed decisions about system improvements and deployments without compromising safety.
Looking at Risk from All Angles
During risk assessment, multiple sources are cross-referenced to validate the results, contrary to a common public perception that these are merely tick-box exercises. Seng Boon addresses a key misconception about risk assessment work. "I look at risks from all angles. It's not just about which (areas) don't comply; it's about which ones matter," said Seng Boon, addressing another misconception. This perspective highlights how effective cybersecurity requires understanding the significance and context of risks, not just identifying non-compliance issues. His thorough approach ensures that risk assessments provide genuine insights rather than superficial compliance checks.
Practical Security Tips for Digital Compartmentalisation
Seng Boon offers three practical tips for our everyday digital life that many overlook. First, use disposable email addresses for one-off signups to avoid spam and reduce your digital footprint. Second, regularly review and revoke access to third-party apps connected to your social media accounts as these connections often accumulate over time without users realising it – this helps protect your personal data from misuse or leaks. Finally, use different browsers for different purposes, such as one for banking and another for general browsing, to compartmentalise security risks – for example, this would reduce cross-site tracking as casual browsing picks up advertising cookies and trackers, which may build a profile of your online behaviour.
Building Digital Trust
Seng Boon captures the essence of cybersecurity's importance: "Cybersecurity is important because it creates a foundation of trust in a digital society, giving people and businesses the confidence to connect."
What Does a Day in Cybersecurity Look Like? - Meet Stephanie, Manager (CISOO), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC)
As a manager in the Chief Information Security Officer’s Office, Stephanie's day revolves around making cybersecurity accessible to public healthcare professionals. She designs awareness campaigns, creates newsletters, and develops e-learning modules that help people understand cybersecurity in practical ways.
The Detective Work behind Awareness
Much of Stephanie's important work happens behind the scenes. She continuously updates awareness content to address emerging threats before most staff even hear about them and helps the community care organisations that AIC supports to translate cybersecurity requirements into practical steps.
Beyond Technology: The Human Element
Stephanie addresses a key misconception about cybersecurity. "Most people assume cybersecurity is primarily about technology—firewalls and antivirus software. In reality, a large part of my role focuses on people and behaviour." Her proactive work in designing awareness programmes and coaching individuals but is crucial in reducing human error.
Thinking like the Enemy
Stephanie stays ahead of threats by understanding how attackers think, studying their tactics and motives through real-world incidents and phishing patterns. This perspective helps her design more effective awareness programmes and work with teams to identify vulnerabilities, ensuring both staff and the organisation are better prepared to prevent incidents.
Tech Alone is Not Enough
After more than ten years in cybersecurity, Stephanie was initially drawn by a fascination with hackers' creativity and finding ways to counter their tactics. What motivates her today is addressing persistent misinformation about cybersecurity. "Too often, people assume technology alone can solve the problem, without realising they play just as important a role." She believes security should be embedded into every aspect of how we work and live.
The AI Era: Why Security Matters More than Ever
"Cybersecurity is important because technology is deeply woven into every aspect of our lives," Stephanie explains. "With the rise of AI, bypassing security has become easier and the tools are more accessible. If organisations and individuals don't take security seriously, the risks can spiral, leading to disruptions in all aspects of our lives."
