Towards a Resilient Regional Cyber Security: Perspectives and Challenges in Southeast Asia

The rapid growth of internet, digital, social media and mobile users in Southeast Asia has increased the possibility of cyber misuse. The digital domain connects over half of the region population, opening economic possibilities, but also increasing their vulnerability to crimes and security breaches done via the internet. Aside from the cyber security challenges faced by individuals and businesses, national governments that increasingly provide their services online, as well as manage physical infrastructures that are digitally connected, have become more fragile toward cyber espionages and attacks. Furthermore, not only governments are obliged to protect national cyber security and the welfare of the population, but they are also tasked to formulate regulations for private sectors operating in cyber realm. Understanding such complexities, leaders of ASEAN have agreed to work together on cyber cooperation across the various platforms of the three pillars of ASEAN.

This publication is an effort to increase public awareness of cyber issues faced by the Southeast Asian region, as well as to share experiences from ASEAN countries in dealing with the complexities of cyber development and management. Cyber domain carries a great potential for economic development and source of employment, but it is also a field of contestation for ideology spreading and power play. Notwithstanding the intricacies, cyber security is a cross-cutting issue that would benefit from the involvement of multiple stakeholders including governments, scholars and practitioners.