A SWIFT exchange of intelligence among Asean countries to keep essential services running during a global cyber attack can be expected with the launch of a regional cyber threat response team in Singapore.
Operationalised yesterday, the Asean Regional Computer Emergency Response Team will go some way to improve cybersecurity responses across Asean nations, said Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo.
For instance, bad actors could target critical services – like energy networks, supermarkets, suppliers and weaknesses in a digital system – which could have effects that span beyond one country.
The regional response team, the fruits of talks since 2020, will be located at the Asean-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in City Hall.
It will be led by Malaysia as its first overall coordinator, which rotates every two years among the 10 member states.
Singapore has allocated S$10mil (RM32mil) over the next decade to support the regional team’s operations. The team will also support collaborations between industry and academia, as well as conduct cyber exercises.
Citing the growing number of digital services for attackers to target, Teo said: “While these technologies are very convenient and easy to use, they have also greatly expanded the attack surface area of our respective states.”
The digital economy in Asean is set to hit US$1 trillion (RM4.3 trillion) by 2030. The region also has a combined population of 700 million people, many of whom are online-savvy and fast to adopt the latest tech.
“However, if we stand together, we will be able to strengthen our cyber defences and safeguard our digital future,” said Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity.
She was speaking at the ninth Asean Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity, a gathering of officials in the region who oversee technology, held during the Singapore International Cyber Week at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Dr Kao Kim Hourn, the Secretary-General of Asean, called for more collaboration to counter expected rise in cyber threats.
He listed attacks in the region, including a ransomware attack in July that crippled Indonesian government services by infiltrating its National Data Centre service.
Many Asean nations, too, are grappling with scams, including Singapore, he said.
The city-state faces a worsening scam situation, as victims lost a record high of more than S$385.6mil (RM1.2bil) in the first half of 2024.
“(These events) underscore the urgent need for coordinated and collective action to mitigate the risks and protect our economies and society from cyber crime.
“It’s crucial not just for safeguarding critical infrastructure, but also for maintaining the trust of services,” Kao added.
Malaysia, will serve as the response team’s first overall coordinator, led by Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin, chief executive of Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency. — The Straits Times/ANN
