October 1, 2019
SINGAPORE, Oct. 1, 2019 — UL, a leading global safety science company, today announced that it has expanded its Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Singapore. The center is now the only facility in the Asia Pacific region able to provide on-site testing for Common Criteria (CC) and EMVCo, among other cybersecurity capabilities serving the payments, mobility, smart home, smart building, smart healthcare and industry 4.0 ecosystems.
The center, part of UL’s international headquarters, will serve to bolster the company’s capabilities in cybersecurity, interoperability and connectivity, and sustainability to meet the needs of customers in an ever-changing global marketplace.
Given the increased focus on innovation in smart technologies across Southeast Asia, the center’s offerings can fuel the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Smart Cities Network and the Singapore government’s vision of a Smart Nation as well.
As ASEAN increasingly looks to technology as an enabler to improve the lives of its citizens, CC will increasingly become a vital standard. Now recognized as ISO/IEC 15408, it defines a common set of security functions to establish that IT products adhere to international regulatory requirements.
Apart from the CC, the center also offers end-to-end security solutions for the entire lifecycle of devices and systems across critical sectors such as payments, governments, automotive and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. As organizations and businesses in ASEAN progressively deploy innovations that connect people and technology, such as IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence, there is a rising need to validate and evaluate cybersecurity standards and compliance with protocols.
In the smart payments arena, UL provides advisory expertise and security evaluation of payment infrastructure and innovations across cards, contactless, mobile and remote payment channels via next-generation payment technology such as biometrics.
Similar to the payments landscape, the automotive industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift as advances in machine learning and sensor technologies are making autonomous vehicles a reality. UL has helped to promote the safe and secure adoption of these technologies by supporting regulatory bodies, including the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) and the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in developing standards and testing criteria to manage cyber risks that are linked to connected vehicles. Additionally, UL has helped governments develop the appropriate IoT security testing frameworks and policies to protect against risks such as malicious bot attacks.
“As we accelerate toward establishing smart cities in ASEAN, UL’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence will enable companies to navigate new technologies and bring to the table tangible services that are necessary to facilitate smart cities development,” said Anthony Tan, vice president and managing director of UL’s offices in ASEAN and Australasia. “We are here to help governments and organizations on their innovation journeys and help them to build ecosystems that are more secure, connected and smarter.”
UL’s future expansion plans at its international headquarters also include strengthening its brand protection and anti-counterfeiting capabilities in Singapore. In addition, another area of growth is UL Ventures, the venture investment and acceleration arm of UL, which is actively seeking investment opportunities in digital manufacturing, autonomous systems, smart cities, digital health and cybersecurity and is working with SGInnovate and Entrepreneur First.
About UL
UL helps create a better world by applying science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. We empower trust by enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. All of our work, from independent research and standards development, to testing and certification, to providing analytical and digital solutions, helps improve global well-being. Businesses, industries, governments, regulatory authorities and the public put their trust in us so they can make smarter decisions. To learn more, visit UL.com.