In the evolving digital landscape of military warfare, Military Expert 4 (ME4) Jason Cheong decodes digital threats to safeguard Singapore from non-traditional dangers.
From aspiring surgeon to a key player in digital defense, ME4 Jason Cheong’s career trajectory in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) highlights a unique shift in military strategy. Today, at the age of 26, Cheong deciphers emerging digital threats rather than diagnosing medical conditions, contributing to the nation’s cybersecurity efforts.
As part of the Counter Terrorism and Intelligence Group (CTIG) within DIS, Cheong operates in the “grey zone” – a space that deals with non-conventional threats such as cyberattacks, terrorism, and other digital disruptions. Unlike traditional military combat, which involves physical battlefields, the grey zone requires expertise in analyzing data from Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), including social media and news platforms. “It’s very different from conventional warfare,” Cheong states, explaining the complexity of identifying digital threats that may not immediately appear significant but can interact to form larger dangers.
Cheong compares his role to that of a detective, carefully combing through a wide range of data to find subtle clues indicating an emerging threat. His team’s task is not just to gather data, but to extract actionable insights that can prevent harm to the nation. For Cheong, the thrill comes from the responsibility of safeguarding Singapore’s security, driven by the real-world implications of his work.
His path to military intelligence was shaped by his education at Brown University, where he majored in international relations and religious studies, supplemented by courses in data analysis and programming. This liberal arts background, supported by the SAF Scholarship, provided Cheong with critical thinking skills and a broad perspective essential for analyzing complex security issues. “The various lenses that I have learned in my studies allow me to approach multifaceted issues from different angles,” he explains.
Within DIS, Cheong has contributed to creating a shared knowledge repository, enabling more effective collaboration across the organization. His leadership reflects the innovative and agile environment at DIS, which operates like a tech start-up, with an emphasis on rapid implementation and collective intelligence sharing. “In a traditional military setup, most ideas usually come from the top down,” Cheong observes, highlighting the unique nature of DIS’s dynamic work culture.
Cheong’s transition into military intelligence was not driven by technical expertise alone, but by his adaptability and capacity for critical thinking—traits highly valued by the SAF. His diverse academic background demonstrates that military intelligence experts need not always come from STEM fields, as social science and humanities knowledge can offer invaluable insights into multi-disciplinary challenges.
Now, as a senior military intelligence expert, Cheong continues to hone his skills, undergoing advanced training in cybersecurity, including courses from the prestigious SANS Institute. His work in the digital and intelligence sector is helping shape Singapore’s defense strategy in an increasingly complex digital age, ensuring the nation’s security in both traditional and non-traditional realms.
