Public-Private Collaboration Key To ASEAN’s Cyber Resilience

By Rosemarie Khoo Mohd Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) — Deeper collaboration between governments and industries is important to help safeguard nations, businesses, and people across ASEAN as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies reshape the global economy and redefine the threat landscape.

Palo Alto Networks, Asia-Pacific and Japan (JAPAC) president Simon Green said defending against fast-evolving digital threats requires not only advanced technology but also deep continuous collaboration across sectors, borders, and even competitors.

“Cybersecurity can no longer be seen as a competitive advantage. It is a collective responsibility,” Green said in a virtual interview with Bernama. 

He stressed that “bad actors” are already collaborating at unprecedented speed, sharing tools and strategies to exploit vulnerabilities, and defenders must learn to do the same.

Culture of Collaboration and Openness

Unlike traditional security approaches that rely on individual organisational defences, Green said the new AI age demands joint action between public and private sectors.

“The adversary today operates without board meetings or legislative delays. They move fast and share freely.

“To counter them, governments and industries must also work faster and share more with one another,” Green said.

He noted that Palo Alto Networks, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity firms, has actively brokered partnerships between enterprises, regulators, and policymakers across ASEAN to encourage information-sharing, joint threat analysis, and coordinated responses to attacks.

The company also works with authorities to ensure that emerging cyber laws and frameworks are responsive to the pace of modern threats. 

Nonetheless, he said slow bureaucratic processes and fragmented governance remain major challenges for many countries in keeping up with real-time attacks.

“Still, the shift is underway. Malaysia, for instance, has made notable progress by recognising cybersecurity as a critical pillar of national resilience and economic competitiveness.

“Malaysia is maturing. The fact that it is prioritising the protection of citizens and national infrastructure is encouraging, but execution speed will define its success,” he said.

Risks’ New Frontiers: AI, Cloud, Connectivity

The emergence of AI-driven attacks has raised the stakes for cybersecurity regionally.

Attacks once took weeks or days to unfold, but AI now enables attackers to infiltrate and extract data in minutes, he said.

Having leveraged machine learning and AI for over a decade, Green said Palo Alto Networks is mindful that enthusiasm for AI deployment often outpaces security readiness.

“People are building AI fast but not securely. Secure-by-design must become a norm,” he said.

At the same time, ASEAN’s rapid digital transformation, accelerated cloud migration, Internet of Things (IoT) adoption, and the rise of connected devices have widened the attack surface.

Today’s cybersecurity landscape is mired in complexity, with organisations managing an average of 83 security solutions from 29 vendors, creating unnecessary risk and inefficiency.

To counter this, security simplification through platformisation – consolidating tools into a unified platform that strengthens defences, accelerates response times, and transforms security from a cost centre into a value driver – is essential.

“The speed of digitalisation is outpacing the speed of defence. If security isn’t embedded from the start, every open door becomes an invitation for attack,” said Green. 

He further said that ASEAN nations are at different stages of cybersecurity maturity, with Singapore leading in AI adoption and governance frameworks, while others are catching up through knowledge-sharing platforms. 

“Events such as the Singapore International Cyber Week are vital in brokering bilateral conversations and helping countries learn from each other.

“The willingness to share threat intelligence and lessons learned is what moves the region forward,” he said.

Investing in Cyber Talent and Future Readiness

Beyond technology, Green said the next frontier in cybersecurity resilience lies in people, and noted that the shortage of skilled professionals remains one of ASEAN’s biggest challenges.

To close this gap, he said Palo Alto Networks has partnered universities worldwide, including in Southeast Asia, to develop cybersecurity curricula and internship programmes.

Its “Cyber Kids” initiative also introduces digital safety concepts to schoolchildren, promoting awareness and responsible online behaviour from an early age.

 Palo Alto Networks also recently partnered Cyberlite to launch the AI Safety in the Classroom Toolkit, a first-of-its-kind resource that empowers educators, parents, and students to understand generative AI, think critically, and use AI safely and ethically.

The modular lessons help non-experts teach key skills like detecting deepfakes, recognising bias, and understanding AI’s real-world risks.

“Developing talent is a long road, but we must start early. From classrooms to boardrooms, everyone must understand the value of digital trust,” he said.

Future cyber professionals must not only be technically equipped but also agile to adapt to evolving threats, from AI-powered attacks to quantum-era vulnerabilities, he said.

As ASEAN economies accelerate toward greater digitalisation, the urgency of collective action grows stronger.

Green reiterated that open collaboration, integrated defences, and proactive sharing of threat intelligence would determine the region’s resilience.

“Reputations built over decades can be lost in seconds. In the age of AI, speed, openness, and collaboration will be our greatest defences,” Green added. 

— BERNAMA

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