Report outlines policy prescription to better protect against, prevent, mitigate and respond to cyber attacks

Singapore — June 30, 2015 — Cybersecurity is an increasingly urgent issue for governments around the world, but a new study from BSA | The Software Alliance finds that markets in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region have been slow to produce comprehensive national cybersecurity strategies, and implement the necessary legal frameworks for security and critical infrastructure protection.

At the same time, the study finds tremendous opportunities exist in each market to improve the systems needed to protect against, prevent, mitigate, and respond to cyberattacks. Doing so, BSA advises, will bolster confidence in cutting-edge, Internet-enabled technologies and services, and at the same time drive economic growth and productivity.

“This study is an important tool not only for APAC government leaders, but for governments worldwide to understand how their cybersecurity efforts compare to other countries,” BSA President and CEO Victoria Espinel said. “We hope the Dashboard will help public and private stakeholders effectively prevent and respond to cyberattacks and incidents and that it serves as a valuable tool to help reduce the costs and risks associated with growing cyber threats.”

Launched today, BSA’s APAC Cybersecurity Dashboard is an in-depth study of the cybersecurity approaches of 10 APAC markets, comprising Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Dashboard examines, in detail, the foundational steps needed to increase cybersecurity and improve cyber resilience within these markets.

“The Dashboard highlights that policymakers should establish the proper policy, legal and operational frameworks; improve collaboration with relevant stakeholders’ communities; effectively share meaningful cybersecurity information; and prioritize the protection of critical infrastructures. Accomplishing these goals is an urgent matter, and the Dashboard aims to facilitate the discussions and debates needed to advance the cybersecurity infrastructures of APAC markets,” said Boon Poh Mok, Director, Policy - APAC.

Key APAC highlights from the Dashboard include findings that:

• Broadly, most governments are not leveraging public-private partnerships to benefit from the private sector’s cybersecurity knowledge and best practices.
• APAC has shown strength and consistency in the establishment of computer emergency response teams (CERTs) and the implementation of national cybersecurity education campaigns.
• Markets like China, Indonesia and Korea are hampered by the imposition of local standards and testing requirements that are inconsistent with a truly international approach to addressing cybersecurity.
• Markets, such as Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, have detailed and comprehensive cybersecurity structures in place, while Indonesia has not yet developed a national cybersecurity strategy. Others such as China, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam have implemented some cybersecurity measures, but their national cybersecurity infrastructures are still being developed.
• Implementation of sector-specific responses to cybersecurity in the APAC region is very limited; Australia, Malaysia and Singapore are the leaders in this field.

The Dashboard, created in partnership with Galexia, a leader in delivering expert research on cybersecurity and cloud computing, examines the cybersecurity policy environment with a focus on each country’s legal foundations for cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related operational capabilities, public-private partnerships, sector-specific cybersecurity plans, and education. BSA will be reaching out to government authorities in the APAC region in the coming weeks to share and discuss the respective findings of the study.

To view the full report, as well as a detailed description of the report's methodology and criteria, visit www.bsa.org/APACcybersecurity.