Opening Remarks by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo at the SICW AMCC on 16 Oct 2024

My ASEAN Ministerial colleagues,
Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn,
Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1              Good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome you to this 9th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity, or AMCC.

2              The presence of ASEAN Ministers, Secretary-General of ASEAN, senior officials, and Dialogue Partners here signifies our shared commitment towards strengthening our regional cybersecurity architecture.

3              Since the AMCC last year, the cyber threat landscape has continued to evolve. Ransomware attacks, scams and other cybercriminal acts are just some of the many challenges that occupy our collective attention.

4              Take ransomware for example, the threat continues to escalate.

5              New groups like RansomHub and Brain Cipher have burst onto the scene and quickly gained notoriety by engaging in “big game hunting” – that is targeting and successfully breaching high-profile victims. Government entities and services are prized targets because these groups stand to gain significant notoriety and payouts given the widespread public impact.

6              Suffice to say, ASEAN faces these challenges as well. ASEAN is a young and dynamic region, with a digital economy poised to grow from USD 300 million to USD 1 trillion by 2030. We have a combined population of close to 700 million with a significant proportion of young, educated, online-savvy individuals and a growing middle class.

7              We are also fast adopters of the latest technologies like smart devices that enable the remote monitoring of everything from transportation nodes to air quality. While these technologies are very convenient and easy to use, they have also greatly expanded the attack surface area of our respective States.

8              However, I am confident that if we stand together, we will be able to strengthen our cyber defences and safeguard our digital future.

Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the Face of Emerging Threats

9              Since the AMCC was initiated in 2016, we have taken substantive steps to strengthen ASEAN’s cyber resilience.

10              At the ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting in February this year, the Ministers endorsed the Financial Model of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT, a key initiative in our regional efforts to advance operational coordination and the timely exchange of information to respond to cyber threats.

11              Today, I am pleased to announce the launch of the physical facility of the ASEAN Regional CERT, which ASEAN ministers and senior officials will be officiating later.

12              With USD10 million pledged over 10 years in funding, the ASEAN Regional CERT represents a concrete step in ASEAN’s efforts towards regional capacity building and sharing of best practices. The ASEAN Regional CERT will also support our efforts in developing partnerships with industry and academia, facilitate and conduct cyber exercises, and enhance timely information exchanges.

13              With a physical facility, the ASEAN Regional CERT will now have a dedicated venue to host workshops, training sessions, and regional exercises to uplift our collective capacity in the face of new and emerging cyber threats.

14              The ASEAN Regional CERT’s activities will be governed by a Taskforce led by an ASEAN Member State as Overall Coordinator. This role will be rotated biennially. I am sure all fellow ASEAN Member States would fully render our support to Malaysia as the first rotating Overall Coordinator of the ASEAN Regional CERT.

15              The work and priorities of the ASEAN Regional CERT are already underway. The taskforce’s inaugural meeting in Singapore on 16 August 2024 was chaired by Dr Megat Zuhairy bin Megat Tajuddin, Malaysia’s Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Agency to discuss the next steps to operationalise the ASEAN Regional CERT.

ASEAN is Committed and Ready to Actively Contribute to the establishment of a secure, trusted, interoperable and rules-based cyberspace

16              ASEAN is also fully committed to contribute towards to the global efforts to strengthen the rules-based order in cyberspace.

17              The adoption of and adherence to a multilateral system of voluntary rules, norms, and principles is not a just theoretical concept. These form the foundation for a secure and prosperous digital future for all.

18              Dialogues, and platforms like the Singapore International Cyber Week and the AMCC, are key to enhancing these efforts.

19              At the 3rd AMCC in 2018, ASEAN was the first regional grouping to subscribe in-principle to the United Nations’ 11 voluntary and non-binding norms of responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs.

20              Since then, we have worked diligently to translate these norms into actionable steps.

21              I am pleased to announce that the ASEAN Norms Implementation Checklist led by Singapore and Malaysia, with the strong support from our fellow ASEAN Member States, was completed in September this year.

22              The Checklist builds upon wider UN efforts to implement voluntary non-binding norms of responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs. It identifies practical steps that relevant government agencies can consider when implementing the norm, and corresponding capacity-building activities that can be adopted to meet the norm.

23              With methodically-detailed guidance, I am confident the ASEAN Checklist will go a long way to support ASEAN Member States in their implementation of cyber norms, in line with their respective national priorities.

24              This is the first Checklist of its kind. We would be happy to share our experience with other countries in the implementation of these norms in support of global efforts towards an open, secure, stable, accessible, interoperable, and peaceful cyberspace.

25              The ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence and the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre are other examples of the achievements that we have accomplished together as ASEAN and our partners.

26              We made progress on these efforts because as a region, we have a clear vision that is articulated in consecutive five-year ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategies. The Strategy was first launched in 2017 and subsequently renewed in 2021.

27              I note that under the leadership of our Malaysian colleagues at the National Cyber Security Agency, the effort to review the existing strategy has started so that it can chart the way forward for the next five years. I am confident that this effort will inspire new areas for collaboration.

Conclusion

28              Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, this year’s ASEAN theme under the Lao PDR’s chairmanship is “Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”.

29              We should take advantage of the time we have together this week to engage in dialogue to deepen our cooperation and embrace the opportunities of a secure and resilient cyberspace.

30              I look forward to our discussions at the AMCC and wish everyone a fruitful conference.

31              Thank you.