Asean emergency response team launched to combat cyber threats

It will also support collaborations between industry and academia, conduct exercises

- Osmond Chia

A swift exchange of intelligence among Asean countries to keep essential services running during a global cyber attack can be expected with the launch of a response team in Singapore.

Operationalised on Oct 16, the Asean Regional Computer Emergency Response Team will go some way to improve cyber-security responses across Asean nations, said Singapore's Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo.

For instance, bad actors could target critical services like energy networks, supermarkets and suppliers, and weaknesses in a digital system, which could have effects that span beyond one country.

The team, the fruit of talks since 2020, will be located at the Asean-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in City Hall. It will be led by Malaysia as its first overall coordinator, a role which rotates every two years among the 10 member states.