Asia Transnational Threats Forum: Cybersecurity in Asia

As the scale, frequency, and sophistication of cyberattacks increase in Asia, there is a growing urgency from the United States and our regional partners to address these threats and its impact on economic prosperity, democratic governance, critical infrastructure, and security. With state actors like North Korea increasingly using its cyberattacks to advance its objectives, it is imperative for policymakers to take full stock of the region’s true capabilities and intentions to effectively counter such activities. Moreover, the inherently asymmetric nature of the threat and the difficulty of attribution will require cross-border collaboration and engagement of private, public, and civic stakeholders to develop an effective and sustainable cybersecurity policy.

On June 14, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings hosted distinguished U.S. and South Korean cybersecurity experts to articulate the capabilities and intentions of regional actors and examine government policies and best practices to counter the evolving cyber threat. This conference is part of the Asia Transnational Threats Forum, an interdisciplinary forum launched by the Brookings Korea Chair that harnesses the collective expertise of U.S. and foreign partners to tackle key strategic issues affecting all of Asia.

Following each session, panelists took questions from the audience.