Cisco and DDAS Launch Three-Year AI and Cybersecurity Training Push
Source: The Edge Singapore
Cisco and the Digital Defence Alliance Singapore have signed a three-year MoU to deliver AI and cybersecurity training programmes for students and professionals, supporting Singapore's push to broaden AI literacy beyond technical roles through overseas study visits and hands-on learning.
Cisco and the Digital Defence Alliance Singapore (DDAS) have inked a three-year partnership to develop artificial intelligence and cybersecurity training programmes for students and working professionals, both locally and overseas. The initiative comes as Singapore pushes to broaden AI literacy beyond purely technical roles, targeting everyone from fresh graduates to seasoned professionals in fields like accountancy and legal services.
Under the memorandum of understanding, DDAS digital defenders will gain access to applied learning opportunities including overseas study visits. A contingent recently travelled to Cisco's Seoul office to observe how the company is adapting to AI, and in October 2026, up to 60 polytechnic students will visit Cisco's Tokyo office to learn about network security in Japan's commercial IT industry. Cisco's director of cybersecurity for Asean, Koo Juan Huat, said the goal is to "uplevel the whole AI and cybersecurity skill set across the nation, across different personas."
The partnership dovetails with a broader government push to expand the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) programme to non-technology professionals, helping them develop what Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam called "AI bilingualism." Selected participants in SkillsFuture AI courses will also receive six months of free access to premium AI tools, signalling that the government sees hands-on practice — not just theory — as key to building real AI capability.
What makes this initiative notable is the explicit focus on security as a first-class concern, not an afterthought. "When you are digitalising or applying AI inside your business environment, you must think of security upfront," Koo noted. With ransomware attacks and AI-powered threats on the rise globally, Singapore's approach of embedding cybersecurity training alongside AI upskilling reflects a pragmatic understanding that capability without protection is a liability.
Why it matters for Singapore: As the city-state races to become an AI hub, the risk of creating a workforce that knows how to use AI but not how to secure it is very real. Partnerships like Cisco-DDAS, combined with government schemes like TeSA and SkillsFuture, represent a coordinated effort to build both competence and resilience — a dual-track strategy that other nations chasing the AI prize would do well to study.