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Rights-based approach to cybersecurity key for regional stability, experts say
Observers have warned during a regional cyber conference this week that Southeast Asia is likely to see an increase in cyber attacks and online scam cases, calling on countries in the region to enhance their cyber readiness.
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Alleged victims of scam centers board a boat to cross the river on the Myanmar-Thai border to be met by Thai Army soldiers as they are repatriated from Kyauk Khet in Myanmar's Myawaddy township on Feb. 12, 2025. More than 260 people, many visibly injured or bruised, were rescued from an illicit scam center along the Myanmar border this week and handed over to Thailand, following a series of crackdowns on the illegal operations. (AFP/-)
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s the world continues to witness economic uncertainty and deepening geopolitical tensions in recent years, observers warned during a regional cyber conference this week that Southeast Asia is likely to see an increase in cyberattacks and online scam cases, and they called on countries in the region to enhance their cyber readiness.
Over 100 participants encompassing experts, government officials and international organization representatives convened on Monday in Bangkok to discuss Southeast Asia’s current cybersecurity challenges, with a particular focus on fostering peace amid a precarious geopolitical landscape.
Held by the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR), the 2025 Regional Cyber Conference ran over three days and saw cross-sectoral exchanges on cybersecurity best practices. Speakers shared recommendations against the backdrop of several pressing issues like the uptick in scams linked to human trafficking and slavery, democratic backsliding and polarization.
ASEAN-IPR executive director I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja said the issue of cybersecurity was of utmost relevance when it comes to discussing the region’s peace and stability, noting that the rising trend of online exploitation and security breaches had reached “alarming” levels with far-reaching consequences.
“This is an unchartered territory in regional peace and stability,” Agung told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. “Governments in our region are struggling with establishing infrastructure for cybersecurity, and in coping with advanced cyber developments.”
In the past decade, Southeast Asia, among the world’s fastest-growing digital markets, has struggled with the unprecedented security and socio-cultural challenges brought about by rapid digitalization, stumbling to establish timely policies to cope with the rapid rate of technological advancements.
While the World Economic Forum has forecast the region’s digital economy market will hit US$600 billion in merchandise value by 2030, the gain will come at the cost of an uptick in geopolitically motivated hacktivism, sophisticated extortion schemes employing artificial intelligence, and an increase in political polarization.
