Asean Urged To Intensify Cybersecurity Awareness Efforts

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- ASEAN must intensify its efforts to raise cybersecurity awareness, particularly in addressing the growing threats of online scams and disinformation, by adopting a whole-of-ASEAN approach to ensure a secure digital ecosystem, especially for vulnerable groups, said ASEAN secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn.

Speaking at the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC) here Wednesday, he said the regional grouping’s commitment to sustaining and integrating these efforts is vital to achieving ASEAN’s goal of a safe and trustworthy online environment for all citizens.

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“In support of this, we endorse initiatives developed by the ASEAN Task Force on Fake News and the ASEAN Working Group on Anti-Online Scams,” he said in stressing the importance of collective action.

Kao called for ASEAN to intensify its capacity-building efforts and launch a region-wide cyber awareness campaign to strengthen resilience by leveraging existing resources.

This includes the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC), the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), and the ASEAN Cyber Shield Project.

By integrating these initiatives across various sectors including the ASEAN Cyber Defence Network (ACDN) and the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Exchange of Excellence (ACICE), ASEAN can reduce programme fragmentation, avoid duplication of efforts, and enhance the effectiveness of the initiatives, he said.

He pointed out that the cybersecurity landscape faces increasingly sophisticated and ever-evolving threats due to rapid digitalisation, the rise of disruptive technologies, and the growing interconnectivity of critical infrastructure.

“One of the biggest challenges is staying ahead of cybercriminals, who exploit vulnerabilities faster than defences can be developed,” he said.

Kao highlighted the alarming rise in online scams, citing that Malaysia alone in 2023 incurred losses of US$277 million from over 32,000 cases, Thailand reported losses of US$1.25 billion from more than 300,000 cases, while Singapore faced losses exceeding US$480 million during the same period.

He added that a cyberattack in Indonesia in July affected 282 government agencies, leading to widespread outages and disruptions.

These figures, Kao pointed out, underscore the urgent need for coordinated and collective action to mitigate these risks and protect economies and societies from further cyber harm.

He said the full operationalisation of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) in 2024 will be a pivotal milestone in building a robust regional mechanism for coordinated cybersecurity responses.

“It will address cross-border threats and incidents by closely collaborating with national CERTs from ASEAN Member States. This team will standardise cybersecurity protocols, assess vulnerabilities in network infrastructures, conduct cybersecurity exercises, and enhance knowledge-sharing across the region,” he said.

The ASEAN Regional CERT physical facility was launched here on Wednesday at the AMCC.

-- BERNAMA