Public transportation, utilities and banking systems are among a list of critical infrastructure that will be watched by the government's Cyber Security Lab, the Home Affairs Ministry told Channel NewsAsia, in response to queries.

Announced during the Budget 2013 debates, the lab will be operational next year and aims to hone the skills of those who protect Singapore's key information systems and assets.

Efforts will also be geared towards private sector involvement.

The lab serves as a realistic, hands-on platform not just for Home Team officers to enhance cyber protection know-how, but also engages private sector stakeholders operating and delivering essential services.

This will bring the public and private sectors to the same page where infrastructure protection is concerned and help both sides develop practical and essential cyber security skills.

Besides public transportation and banking assets, the lab will cover telecommunication networks, water, gas and electricity systems.

Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director at Association of Banks in Singapore, said: "The fact that the government has come to provide this platform of this lab gives a safe environment to stress-test and to test new security systems. So it's a platform that, if a government with the vision and with the resources to do it, then it's very good for the participants."

Computer security firm Symantec said worldwide, two in five targeted cyber-attacks in 2012 homed in on critical infrastructures.

Ng Kai Koon, senior manager of legal and public affairs at Symantec, said: "For the banks, for the telcos, for the utility providers, cyber security is obviously an important consideration for their day-to-day operations. But, having said that, they are also limited in terms of what they can see. They will only be able to see the attacks that are happening on them in particular. The government will obviously have a lot better view in terms of the threat landscape on a national level."

The Cyber Security Lab will offer stakeholders an avenue to share experiences through interaction.