Singapore Wants to Ban Civil Servants From Using Web at Work

In a bid to fend off hackers, Singapore wants to ban civil servants from using the Internet at work.

As Reuters reports, the move is part of a broader initiative by the Singapore government to mitigate the possibility of falling victim to a hacking attempt on its networks. Starting in May, government computers would be air-gapped, or removed from the public Internet.

As Reuters points out, "Air-gapping is common in security-related fields, both in government and business, but not for normal government functions. Also, it doesn't guarantee success." Critics, meanwhile, argue that cutting off Web access could be a productivity drain and isolate workers from residents they're supposed to serve, the report notes. Still, many hacks usually happen due to human error, from clicking a sketchy link to downloading malware-infested attachments.

Workers would still be able to surf the Web on their own time and their own devices.

The decision comes as state-sponsored and state-targeted cyber attacks are on the rise. It was revealed recently, for example, that NSA hacking tools were stolen by what is believed to be a Russian hacking group.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.