The Asia-Pacific's Cybersecurity Problem

13 Oct 2023 | APLN

13 October 2023

This week, Sameer Patil writes on looming cybersecurity threats in the Asia-Pacific and Trevor Findlay argues for a global recommitment to the existing non-proliferation and disarmament regime.

We also share the latest activities from our network, including an upcoming event on how nuclear proliferation is changing the threat landscape in the Asia-Pacific, and analysis on issues such as India’s response to the Hamas attack, the Comprehensive Military Agreement with North Korea, and more.

Cybersecurity Threats to Regional Stability in the Asia-Pacific

Sameer Patil outlines the growing cybersecurity concerns in the Asia-Pacific and argues that geopolitical rivalries pose a new threat to the region’s security establishments. Regional state actors including China, North Korea, Iran and Russia have engaged in offensive cyber operations targeted at their adversaries, with activities ranging from cyber heists for financial assets to spreading disinformation and propaganda.

In this policy brief, Patil argues that it is time for the Asia-Pacific to seriously consider cyber risks and proposes recommendations on how regional governments can take action.

Read the policy brief

Shoring Up the Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament Regime Is Imperative

In this week’s APLN Korea Times column, Trevor Findlay argues that the current state of international affairs does not lend itself to ambitious or radical nuclear disarmament initiatives. Instead, he says that it is time to fortify existing nonproliferation and disarmament initiatives and build political will through global leadership, knowledge sharing, strategic planning, and international processes.

Read the Korea Times column

On October 16th from 12:00 to 13:00 AEST, APLN Senior Associate Fellow and member John Carlson will join a panel of experts to discuss how the advent of major nuclear powers in the Indo-Pacific has created a more complex global nuclear threat dynamic. Panelists will delve into emerging regional areas of nuclear tension, as well as proliferation potentials and drivers.This is the second event in an Asialink series on Nuclear Risks in the Indo-Pacific. The first event featured APLN board member Gareth Evans, who discussed the current standing of Australian nuclear diplomacy and the nuclear environment in the Indo-Pacific. A recording of the first webinar can be viewed here.

APLN has over 150 members from 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.

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Seeking Centrality – U.S.-ASEAN Ties in 2023

Sarah Teo, Assistant Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, was featured on the podcast ‘Engaging the Eagle – Exploring U.S. Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia’ to discuss U.S.-ASEAN ties with Adrian Ang, Sharon Seah, and Kevin Chen.

Why Modi Government Condemned Hamas Attack – and Congress Did Not

C. Raja Mohan, Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, wrote for the Indian Express and argued that the most significant change in India’s Middle East policy under Modi is the de-linking of regional diplomacy from religion, which remains understated.

Suspending Military Deal With North Korea Would Do More Harm Than Good

Jina Kim, Dean of Language and Diplomacy Division at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, was quoted in NK News, where she commented on the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA). She agreed that the CMA represented ‘a step forward from previous measures’ by implementing ‘structural arms control,’ albeit on a limited basis.

70 Years After the Armistice, the Korean Peninsula Still Struggles for Peace

Jun Bong-geun, Professor Emeritus at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, wrote for USIP, arguing that the U.S. and South Korea must prioritize a political-military dialogue with North Korea to defuse military tensions and reduce nuclear risks.

India’s Expanding Global Influence Has Limited Reach in ASEAN

Hoang Thi Ha, Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, co-wrote an article with Eugene Tan, arguing that India is seizing strategic opportunities to emerge as a new global power, but its influence in Southeast Asia has not yet been strongly perceived.

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