SIEM REAP, Cambodia – The alarm has been sounded over a looming cybersecurity menace that could be targeting governments, companies and private citizens across Asia.
During a joint meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Technical Working Group in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Wednesday, cybersecurity and data protection experts from the region called for a united front between government and private sectors to combat these escalating cyber threats.
The call for a concerted response comes as territorial tensions in the region coincide with a surge in advanced persistent threats (APTs) aimed at government bodies and private enterprises within ASEAN.
Delegates agreed that responsive and proactive measures are urgently needed to safeguard Asia from both global and local cyber threats, Manila’s representatives to the summit disclosed.
Lito Averia, president of the Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT) stressed the importance of a “whole-of-Asia and whole-of-society approach” to tackle cyber threats.
He highlighted the necessity for coordination among government and private sector leaders in ASEAN, Japan, and other regional countries.
“Asian nations are confronting identical threats, with all participating countries reporting persistent attacks on their digital infrastructures and CIIs (critical information infrastructure) by both international and local threat actors,” Averia stated.
Sam Jacoba, founding president of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP), underscored the increasing frequency of cyber-attacks on government digital systems and CIIs, urging Asian countries to develop tangible solutions.
He proposed creating an Information Exchange Network to act as a “cyber-weather station,” which would disseminate verified threat alerts to the region.
“A whole-of-region approach will leverage the strengths, talents and resources of government, industry, academe, civil society and communities across ASEAN, which will help countries and citizens to be cyber resilient,” Jacoba said.
Earlier this year, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) successfully repelled a series of “brute force” cyberattacks targeting its mail systems and various government websites, including those of President Marcos and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
More recently, the DICT reported that there was another thwarted attempt to hack the network of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DICT Undersecretary Jeffery Ian Dy, who heads the department’s cybersecurity arm, testified before Congress that the series of attacks were traced to China United Network Communications Group or China Unicom, a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company.