The Health Information Bill passed in Parliament on Jan 12 marks an important step towards a cyber-resilient healthcare ecosystem (

All healthcare service providers must contribute and share patients’ key health information

, Jan 12). As a cybersecurity professional, I applaud this initiative.

However, some clinics and IT teams at healthcare providers are uncertain about what specific security measures are required for compliance. The Bill mandates “role-based access with additional safeguards” and measures to “limit and detect unauthorised access”, but does not define what constitutes adequate implementation.

This ambiguity creates several problems. First, small clinics without dedicated IT security expertise don’t know where to start. Should they invest in enterprise-grade monitoring systems, or are basic controls sufficient?

Second, vendors are offering widely varying solutions at different price points, all claiming to ensure compliance. Without clear standards, how can clinics evaluate what’s actually needed?

Third, inconsistent implementations across the healthcare sector will make auditing subjective rather than objective. What one auditor considers adequate, another may deem insufficient.

I suggest that the Ministry of Health publish specific baseline security controls, tiered by organisation size if needed. These should include clear requirements like multi-factor authentication, patching schedules, access logging standards and backup procedures.

As noted during parliamentary discussions, Singapore should not expect doctors to become cyber experts. Clear, implementable baselines would let healthcare providers prepare confidently without over-investing, or risking non-compliance.

A well-defined standard benefits everyone: Clinics know what to implement, vendors know what to build, and auditors have objective criteria for verification.

I urge the ministry to provide this clarity before implementation deadlines approach, so that healthcare providers can focus on delivering care while meeting their cybersecurity obligations responsibly.

Ching Chao Chyun