On Tuesday, 3 November 2026, more than 100 alumni, students and industry professionals gathered at the SMU Industry AmpUp, held in conjunction with the biannual SMU Juris Doctor and Master of Laws Alumni Reunion, for a thought-provoking panel discussion exploring the intersection of cybersecurity and privacy, from policy to enforcement.
The evening opened with welcome remarks from OAR Director Florence Neo (Assoc Alum), and Dean of Yong Pung How School of Law, Professor Pey Woan Lee, who shared the law schoolโs initiatives to prepare its students for a digital and AI-driven world.
With AI and digitalisation advancing rapidly, regulators across the region are responding with both hard laws and soft guidelines. Our panellists, Angeline Koh (LLB 2013), Shaofei Huang (EngD 2027), Xiang Zheng Teo (LLM 2015) and Soo Bin Yeo (MITB 2024), and moderator Josh Lee Kok Thong (LLB 2015), unpacked whatโs driving this shift and what it means for legal professionals and organisations. Some of the key themes include:
๐น ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐: Rising cyber risk, the erosion of international cyber norms, and a lower barrier to entry for attackers.
๐น ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐จ: Outcome-based versus prescriptive rules, and how societal expectations and even a โfear of missing outโ shape regulatorsโ choices.
๐น ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ: The pace of transformation, differing AI development models across regions, and emerging risks such as โphysical AIโ and automated attacks.
๐น ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ: Parallels between todayโs AI regulatory wave and the rise of GDPR-era privacy laws, and the case for a baseline standard and active engagement with regulators.
What stayed with us: regulation will keep evolving as fast as the technology does. The organisations that perform best will be those that build the habits, relationships, and baselines to adapt.
A heartfelt thank you to our panellists and moderator for generously sharing your expertise and insights with us. We are truly grateful for your time and for making the session such a memorable one.
We would also like to extend our appreciation to the Master of Laws Alumni Group for co-organising the event, and to the Juris Doctor and Master of Laws Programme team for their invaluable support. A special shoutout as well to our ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐บ๐ป๐ถ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ, Casim Javier Crites, LL.M. (LLM 2026), for stepping up as the emcee for the evening!
Above all, thank you to our alumni for joining us, actively engaging in the discussion, and sharing your perspectives. We sincerely hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did!
