We can understand from the aftereffects of the 2018 disaster in Hokkaido, the 2019 storms in Chiba, or the 2023 storms in New Zealand, even though Singapore is fortunate to be reasonably safe from natural disasters.
For days, hundreds of thousands of households that had relied on digital payments were unable to spend for necessities like food and water. Because cellular phone systems had been disabled, an old Japanese merchant told me that the older payphone outside her shop served as the primary means of communication for her community. & nbsp,
Yet as we become more and more reliant on technology in many facets of life, that blessing can cause complacency in society. Activities in Japan and New Zealand demonstrate how even the most simple actions, like having cash on hand, you strengthen our fortitude. & nbsp,
Additionally, we may create some fundamental preparations for the event that additional services, such as energy or telecommunications, fail. The Singapore Civil Defence Force offers advice on how to make an emergency set bag, which should include a flashlight and batteries, sanitizer, cash, water and dried food, and N95 masks. & nbsp,
Eventually, we must strengthen our social and psychological fortitude. Even though the problems thus far have been comparatively insignificant and low-impact, numerous minor incidents in a short period of time may have the combined effect of lowering public trust. Through rumors, fearmongering, and blame-seeking, a hostile data campaign might attempt to take advantage of these technological failures or cyber incidents.
An economy can be destroyed by anxiety and bank runs, while a nation can fall apart due to mistrust and polarization. Violent protests have broken out in other nations as a result of angry information campaigns that incite fear, which in turn inspires rage and hatred. As a nation, we must decide courage, composure, and compassion rather than allowing others to push our buttons in order to develop resilience and bounce again. & nbsp,
At the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Benjamin Ang is the director of the Center of Excellence for National Security and Digital Impact Research.