Cyber Resilience in the Indo-Pacific
The National Bureau of Asian Research (pdf link)
“Across the subregion, governments, private-sector firms, and other organizations have been targeted by sophisticated cyber campaigns to compromise computer systems and networks. Such APTs generally manifest through stealth attacks against critical targets in various countries. Vietnam, Indonesia, and India, for example, have suffered cyberattacks targeting government agencies, military establishments, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure. In 2023 the Asia-Pacific region experienced the highest surge in cyberattacks with an average of 1,835 per organization, above the global average of 1,250. Southeast Asia is experiencing a notable cybercrime epidemic, with malicious actors operating from there stealing approximately $64 billion worldwide. Cybercrime has increased by 82% in Southeast Asia, and a recent report revealed that the region experienced 68 documented attacks out of 86 global APT campaigns in 2024.”
“Looking at India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea, we can see that all four countries have invested in building capacious and responsive institutions to monitor cyber incidents and have instilled the need to remain consultative and collaborative with domestic and international counterparts. In other words, all four countries have acquired sufficient capability to resist cyberattacks. However, differences exist between the four countries in the other two pillars of resilience—recovery and adaptation. Japan and South Korea have made iterative changes to bolster their cybersecurity, largely driven by an imperative to deter growing cyberthreats, whereas India and Indonesia have yet to make that strategic choice, opting instead to manage and mitigate existing risks.”