RSIS and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence (ACICE) co-organised the 2nd Digital Defence Symposium which took place from 24 to 25 Jul 2024.
More than 200 senior military and defence officials from 22 ASEAN and non-ASEAN countries, academic and think tank institutions, and industry experts participated in the symposium to network and discuss issues relating to this year’s overarching theme: “Evolving Cyber and Information Trends: Opportunities and Threats for Defence”.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman of RSIS, highlighted that digital threats are not limited to national borders. Therefore, it is important for ASEAN countries to coordinate their efforts in addressing the challenges of digitalisation and modern warfare. Vice Admiral Dr Thomas Daum, Chief of Cyber and Information Domain Service, German Armed Forces, shared the German perspective in his keynote speech on “Digital Defence – A Marathon in Changing Geopolitical Landscapes.”
Panel one explored the defence implications of the evolving cyber and information landscapes. The speakers were Rear Admiral Dato’ Pahlawan Mohd Fadzli Kamal bin Mohaldin, Director General, Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Division, Malaysian Armed Forces; Captain Roger Koopman, Deputy J6 (Command, Control, Communications and Cyber Directorate), United States Indo-Pacific Command; and Brigadier-General Edward Chen, Defence Cyber Chief, Digital Intelligence Service, Singapore Armed Forces.
Panel two explored effective strategies for countering cyber threats in defence. The speakers were Lieutenant-General Chartchai Chaigasam, Leader, Cyberspace Operations Working Group, Royal Thai Armed Forces; Dr Peter B.M.J Pijpers, Associate Professor of Cyber Operations, Netherlands Defence Academy; and Dr Pratama Persadha, Chairman, Communication and Information System Security Research Centre, Indonesia.
Panel three explored opportunities and threats for defence in the cognitive domain. The speakers were Brigadier Mike Fayers, Commander, 1st Signal Brigade, UK Ministry of Defence and Chief G6, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps; Mr Saikat Datta, CEO and Co-Founder, DeepStrat and Managing Director, RiskStrat, India; and Dr So Jeong Kim, Senior Research Fellow and Director, Emerging Security Department, Institute for National Security Strategy, Republic of Korea.
Panel four explored multistakeholder perspectives and collaborations in cyber and information domains. The speakers were Dr Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head, Security and Technology Programme, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); Professor Li Yan, Director, Institute of Sci-Tech and Cyber Security Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR); Mr Marcus Bartley Johns, Senior Director, Asia, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Microsoft; and Ms Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation, Japan.
The symposium provided opportunities for bilateral engagements on the sidelines. These included the 2nd ASEAN Roundtable on Navigating Digital Space attended by senior ASEAN Cyber defence officials. Indeed, the symposium supports defence diplomacy and enhances multilateral cooperation in safeguarding the region’s peace and security from digital threats such as cyberattacks and disinformation.
