As enterprises worldwide face mounting cybersecurity risks, could public safety organisations provide a benchmark for other sectors to measure up to?

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) of any country provides protection against cyberthreats launched by unseen enemies.

For example, Singapore’s CERT (SingCERT) actively monitors escalating situations and works with affected parties to mitigate impacts when breaches occur.

The Log4j vulnerability in 2021 and SolarWinds supply chain attack of 2020 are among major examples.

Part of SingCERT’s responsibilities include proactively publishing alerts and advisories to inform organizations and the public about the latest threats, and providing recommendations for protective measures.

SingCERT’s intervention measures fall under the umbrella of Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and contribute to improved cyber protection, threat intelligence sharing and increased awareness of risks across different sectors.

Hardening defense while shaving seconds off emergency response

Products that are built to withstand cyber attacks also contribute to the overall defense posture of countries like Singapore. Motorola Solutions, an organization with 13,000 public safety and enterprise radio networks worldwide, has extensive experience in developing secure and encrypted communications for public safety and emergency response teams. By their very nature, these government networks must be resilient to cyber attack because they need to carry sensitive communication for the likes of police and defence agencies.

Today, Motorola is expanding beyond its traditional base of radio networks and into solutions that leverage software, cloud and AI – all of which may require some level of connection into public cellular networks, and therefore could be subject to greater cyber risks.

In order to provide customers with new software innovations and interoperable, feature-rich communications, the company draws on its legacy in delivering radio technology and associated services.

The company’s recent acquisitions demonstrate how it is investing in software technology to expand its offering for its existing public safety and enterprise radio communication customers. For example, it acquired Noggin in 2024, a resilience and critical event management software provider for frontline workers. Then it added another plank to its control room software capabilities through 3tc Software, and more recently Rapid Deploy, a cloud-native software provider for public safety control rooms joined the fold.

As acquisitions like these play out, they’re supporting Motorola’s goal of shaving vital seconds off emergency response so that communities get faster support in times of crisis.

Whereas once this was done with radio communication, the company now layers its software across workflows and streams of data within public safety and enterprise environments, helping to surface insights and efficiencies that can make all the difference in times of emergency.

More broadly, these recent acquisitions are among other ways that the company is building greater connection and interoperability between the public safety and enterprise sectors.

But how do you deliver technology solutions within the realm of the Internet without exposing customer data to malicious perpetrators that target vulnerable segments of society including critical national infrastructure?

Rajat Gupta, Vice President of Motorola Solutions Asia, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA)

Rajat Gupta, Vice President of Motorola Solutions Asia, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) emphasized the importance of protecting the company’s crown jewels – its 13,000 strong communications networks globally. To do this, the company offers 24/7 managed services including cyber protection services, helping to protect communications for a community of millions of first responders around the world.

“Our government customers want and expect to have the same level of security in software technologies as they’ve come to experience from mission-critical radio networks,” Rajat said.

“Having provided that support for them over many years, we’re applying the same discipline as they embrace new innovations in areas including AI, software and video analytics.”

They say a problem shared is a problem halved. That’s the principle that underpins Motorola’s decision to build a community of customers and experts from across the public safety industry to share and learn from common exposure to cyber threats. The Public Safety Threat Alliance (PSTA) is the company’s cyber threat intelligence collaboration program. It provides a central information and best practices hub for customers to share how the evolving cyber landscape is affecting them.

Our government customers want and expect to have the same level of security in software technologies as they’ve come to experience from mission-critical radio networks. – Rajat Gupta

With 150 members globally, the PSTA is recognized by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) which is a global standard for critical infrastructure protection.

From grassroots to Government – Singapore’s collaborative shield

In Asia, Singapore serves as an example of how public and private collaboration can have a force multiplier effect to keep a nation safe and secure in cyberspace.

Motorola Solutions’ employees have been trained as cyber crime prevention ambassadors through a collaboration with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) that helps to combat rising cyberfraud and online scams in the community.

NCPC council member, Dan Yock Hau, said the collaboration with Motorola’s employees brings the advantage of locally proficient talent. “Motorola’s employees already know about technology and cyber issues, so they can engage and educate our communities more effectively about what they can do to protect themselves.”

Rajat is also a strong supporter of close collaboration and engagements with local organizations and communities to enhance safety and security for all.

He said, “Being engaged with Singapore’s National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) not only enables our employees to give back to the community, it helps them to think through the public safety and security challenges we face in Singapore.”