March 05, 2024
Indo-Pacific nations need to put more focus on cybersecurity
Recent developments point to a troubling reality: China is increasingly embracing cyberattacks as a geopolitical weapon.
Last month, Japanese officials disclosed that Chinese hackers had intercepted confidential diplomatic cables through cyberattacks on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ahead of Taiwan's election the previous month, the island experienced a huge surge in Chinese cyberattacks. U.S. FBI Director Christopher Wray, meanwhile, testified in Congress that Chinese hackers were preparing to "wreak havoc and cause real-world harm" by infiltrating critical American infrastructure.
Regional cyber insecurity could also limit the economic gains of digital connectivity.
Combined with ongoing Russian and North Korean cyberaggression and new artificial intelligence-powered threats, the cybersecurity landscape of the Indo-Pacific region appears increasingly ominous.
At stake is not just data security, but the depth of regional ties. Governments and businesses can only connect and cooperate to the extent they trust their counterparts' network security.
American ambitions to strengthen ties across the Indo-Pacific region cannot escape the reality of growing cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Viewed this way, regional cyber insecurity could benefit China, Russia and North Korea simply by hindering U.S. cooperation.
Read the full article from Nikkei Asia.
More from CNAS
-
Lessons in Learning
Reports
Executive Summary Although claims of a revolution in military affairs may be overhyped, the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy to change warfare is growin...
By Josh Wallin
-
Human, Machine, War: How the Mind-Tech Nexus Will Win Future Wars
Air University Press has published Strategic Multilayer Assessment’s (SMA) latest book, Human, Machine, War: How the Mind-Tech Nexus Will Win Future Wars. Forewords by General...
By Samuel Bendett & Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan
-
Five Objectives to Guide U.S. AI Diffusion
Commentary
The Framework for AI Diffusion (the Framework) is an ambitious proposal to shape the global distribution of critical AI capabilities, maintain U.S. AI leadership, and prevent ...
By Janet Egan & Spencer Michaels
-
Shaping the World’s AI Future: How the U.S. and China Compete to Promote Their Digital Visions
Commentary
As the United States navigates evolving global AI competition, balancing these elements will be crucial in determining whose AI systems — and by extension, whose approaches, v...
By Keegan McBride
