Report Launch – Digital Security for High-Risk Users in the Asia-Pacific

Digital Security for High-Risk Users in the Asia-Pacific examines the key challenges that users such as parliamentarians, policymakers, rights defenders, and journalists – among others – face in the online sphere that impact their digital security.

Since the mid-2000s, the internet has increasingly influenced politics in the Asia-Pacific region. With the rise in internet and social media penetration, individuals and organisations using these technologies to advocate for public accountability face growing risks. In 2022, the region accounted for 31% of global cyberattacks, with governments and their proxies often identified as key perpetrators. Targets range from governments to opposition politicians and rights defenders. Methods of attack include digital surveillance, hacking, and disinformation campaigns.

Existing mitigation measures, such as VPNs and multi-factor authentication, remain inadequate, and digital security is not widely prioritised. Against this backdrop, there is an urgent need for enhanced digital security training tailored to the needs of high-risk users.

This report presents a needs assessment to identify critical elements required to bolster digital security in the region. The findings highlight three key clusters of threats: legal regulation, digital surveillance, and information operations. To address these challenges, the report recommends:

• Developing contextualised and region-specific digital security training.
• Strengthening monitoring systems to detect and respond to threats.
• Promoting the use of open-source technologies to build robust defences.

As technology evolves, regularly updating digital security strategies and training curricula is vital to ensure ongoing online safety for those advocating for public accountability.
To find out more, attend the report launch and discussion.

Discussants 

1. Michelin Rama, Social and Behavior Change Specialist, The Asia Foundation
2. Marc Howard, Founding Engineer of Google’s Project Shield 
3. Nenden S. Arum, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet)  (Awaiting confirmation)
4. Takaya Terakawa, CEO, Technica Zen Ltd 

Moderator: Dr Marc Piñol Rovira, Asia Centre Research Manager
Emcee: Lina Sakina Salim, Asia Centre Programme Coordinator 

Date: 10 December 2024
Time: 4pm to 5pm (Bangkok time, GMT+7)
Venue: Online on Google Meet
Language: English
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/10DecReportLaunch 

Contact: research@asiacentre.org