Enhanced and cooperative Public-Private Partnerships will foster proactive and responsive initiatives aimed at safeguarding citizens and Critical Information Infrastructure from both global and local cyber threats in the Asia region.
Leaders from the Philippine Cybersecurity and Data Protection Communities of Practice, attending the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Technical Working Group joint meeting, underscore the urgent need for government and private sector collaboration to combat cyber threats in the Asia region.
Lito Averia, President of the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT), emphasized the necessity for a unified approach among government and private sector leaders in ASEAN and Japan, as well as other regional countries, to address cyber threats. He noted that Asian countries are facing similar threats, with constant attacks on government digital infrastructure and Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) by both international and local threat actors.
Sam Jacoba, Founding President of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP) and PH-CERT Vice President, highlighted the escalating cyber attacks on government digital ecosystems and CIIs. He proposed concrete solutions such as an Information Exchange Network to serve as a cyber weather station for receiving, verifying, and disseminating threat alerts across the region. Jacoba also stressed the importance of continuously training and upskilling cybersecurity professionals to effectively safeguard government and private sector organizations.
PH-CERT and NADPOP are actively participating in the fifth board meeting of the newly-established ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA), coinciding with the 2024 2nd ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Working Group Meeting, organized and hosted by the Cambodian government.
The 2nd Joint Government-Industry-Academia (J-GIA) CA meeting between AJCCA and government cybersecurity representatives from ASEAN and Japan underscores the significance of collaborative efforts among regional countries. The focus is on the five pillars of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU): Legal, Technical, Organizational, Capacity Building, and Cooperation.
Averia and Jacoba highlighted that joint initiatives between government and private sector entities will be initiated as a key outcome of these quarterly regional meetings. These initiatives aim to address the primary gaps identified in the GCI Cybersecurity Pillars for each country and the entire region.
Averia emphasized, “When government and private sector organizations collaborate to combat cyber threats, citizens reap the most benefits. We’re witnessing the positive impact of this cybersecurity community in the region.”
Jacoba added, “These meetings are revealing a regional force for good that will act as a shield for countries and citizens against threat actors, now leveraging AI in their attacks. We invite all active Communities of Practice in the region to collaborate with our regional community, AJCCA, as threat actors are organized in their actions. In these times, comprehensive cooperation across the entire region, society, and communities is crucial for an effective response to cyber threats.”
