Philippine Secretary for Information and Communications Technology Ivan John Uy speaks before participants in the 9th Singapore International Cyber Week | Photo via SICW
NEW YORK—On the sidelines of the 9th Singapore International Cyber Week, the United States, Japan, and the Philippines held a trilateral cyber and digital dialogue.
Jeffrey Ian Dy, the Philippines’ Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary for Infostructure Management, Cybersecurity, and Upskilling, US Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel Fick, and Yukio Saita, Japan’s Deputy Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Information Technology Management, co-chaired the trilateral dialogue. They were joined by officials from various agencies from all three countries.
According to a statement released by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the dialogue included civilian cybersecurity capacity building, cybersecurity workforce development, maritime cybersecurity, and information sharing. They also discussed cyber and digital capacity building, opportunities to enable the trusted flow of data across borders, and continued efforts to advance the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum.
Miller said the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines would continue to work together to enhance international cyberspace stability, data security, privacy, and the region’s cyber and digital capacity building. The integration of cybersecurity, sustainable development, and technology would enable economic growth and improve the lives of their people.
In July, the Philippines and the U.S. held their first cyber-digital policy dialogue in Washington, D.C., to advance an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure information and communication technologies ecosystem to support the growth of the digital economy and strengthen resilience to cybersecurity threats.
Fick and Philippine Secretary for Information and Communications Technology Ivan John Uy “underscored their countries’ shared interest in advancing bilateral and regional cooperation on cyber capacity building, supporting the growth of the digital economy, and combating cybercrime following the Philippines’ recent admission to the International Counter Ransomware Initiative. They also committed to further discussions on protecting critical infrastructure against malicious cyber activity and enhanced collaboration between their respective national Computer Emergency Response Teams.”
Apart from the trilateral meeting, the U.S. and Singapore conducted their third U.S.-Singapore cyber dialogue. First announced by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in March 2022, the dialogue serves as a platform to bring together officials from both countries’ cyber policy, operational, and technical elements to hold regular discussions on practical cooperation.
Miller said officials discussed the cybersecurity threat landscape in the region, including trends in nation-state cyber activity, online fraud, and malicious cyber activity targeting critical infrastructure systems. They discussed developments in their country’s cybersecurity policies, strategies, and laws. They highlighted operational successes in bilateral cyber cooperation aimed at deterring and building resilience to malicious cyber activity. Lastly, participants reviewed international and regional cooperation in multilateral forums on cyber issues and capacity building to build our collective resilience.
The 9th Singapore International Cyber Week is Asia-Pacific’s most established cybersecurity event. It brings together global policymakers, industry leaders, and top academics to exchange best practices and strengthen international cooperation.
SICW 2024 will drive critical conversations and partnerships to foster trust and enhance security in the digital and cyber realm. Key events include the SICW Summit, High-Level Panels on policy, diplomacy, operations, tech, and the Women in Cyber Plenary.
