T-Systems awarded the Technology - ICT Solutions Award at the Singapore Business Review (SBR) International Business Awards 2022

It was awarded for its effort in evaluating the TraceTogether Token under the highest level – Level 4 – of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s (CSA) Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme (CLS).

Watch the interview below to know more about their winning project:

Ensuring the security and integrity of information assets is key to a successful and efficient rollout of operations, whether it is for business processes or government data. In light of this, T-Systems conducted a security evaluation of Singapore’s TraceTogether Token to ensure that the wearable COVID tracker’s integrity is not compromised and not easily exploitable. In doing so, T-Systems was awarded the Technology - ICT Solutions Award at the Singapore Business Review (SBR) International Business Awards 2022. 

The awards programme recognises breakthroughs, key innovations, and major business players in Singapore, and T-Systems set itself apart from its competition with its successful and timely operation on TraceTogether and its tokens. 

The TraceTogether Programme is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) on 20 March 2020 to enhance Singapore’s contact tracing efforts. The TraceTogether Tokens are part of the programme to speed up contact tracing and improve its accuracy and were rolled out to the residents in Singapore in end-June 2020. The Token is a physical device that greatly aids contact tracing by exchanging encrypted and anonymised Bluetooth signals with other TraceTogether devices (other Tokens, or TraceTogether mobile apps nearby), with a light and easy-to-use design and a battery that can last 4 to 6 months. 

The programme reduced the time needed to conduct contact tracing from 4 days to just 1.5 days. But the Tokens, being physical devices that constantly transmits Bluetooth signals to nearby identical tokens, did raise concerns when it came to the security and integrity of the data stored within the Tokens. 

A security evaluation of the Trace Together Token was performed by T-Systems under  the Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme (CLS) launched by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). The CLS is the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region for consumer smart devices, developed as part of efforts to improve Internet of Things (IoT) security, raise overall cyber hygiene levels and better secure Singapore's cyberspace. Under the scheme, smart devices are rated according to their levels of cybersecurity provisions. This will enable consumers to identify products with better cybersecurity provisions and make informed decisions. This security evaluation for the Token was necessary to assess the safety of data that is exchanged through its privacy-preserving Bluetooth contact tracing functions. 

The TraceTogether Tokens were awarded the CLS Level 4 label – the highest level - providing users with additional assurance on the level of security in the Token, as Level 4 products are required to undergo penetration tests by qualified third-party test labs and adhere to Security-by-Design principles. 

These efforts, as well as T-Systems’ support with the successful security evaluation, guarantee a safe platform for Singaporean citizens to use against the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the effects of the virus slowly recede and a new normal arises.

T-systems is also proud to be the evaluation lab chosen to conduct this evaluation, leading to TraceTogether being the first consumer IoT device to be labelled at CLS level 4.