As a member of AustCham Singapore, Ken Soh, CEO of Athena Dynamics and Group CIO of BH Global Corporation, had the opportunity to participate in a small business roundtable with Australian Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology,  Brendan Dowling, during Singapore International Cyber Week.

Chaired by AustCham Singapore Board Member and Chair of the AustCham Singapore Tech Committee, Carolyn Chin-Parry under the Chatham House Rule, this was an open, warm and dynamic discussion, where industry peers shared insights and experiences related to the tech investment landscape in Southeast Asia, the opportunities for uplifting cyber resilience in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and the role of government, civil society and small to medium businesses in achieving this.

🔍 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: Mr Dowling shared valuable insights into Australia’s upcoming cybersecurity strategy. This strategy builds on earlier approaches and draws from major lessons learned from significant cyberattacks in Australia in 2022. The strategy is organised around six key pillars: 
• Strong businesses and citizens
• Safe technology
• World-class threat sharing and blocking
• Protected critical infrastructure
• Sovereign capabilities
• Resilient region and global leadership.

🤝 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: The roundtable provided a platform for industry representatives to exchange experiences and insights on cybersecurity challenges in Singapore, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Discussions emphasised the need for collaboration and outlined key areas for industry opportunities in Australia. The meeting also shed light on potential policy and capacity-building cooperation in the region.

👥 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: The event was graced by the presence of Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Allaster Cox, alongside key cybersecurity industry representatives. Their involvement underscored the significance of this collaborative effort in addressing global cybersecurity challenges.

🚀 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: Mr Ken Soh is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a crucial dialogue. Excited about the potential for collaboration and the shared commitment to enhancing cybersecurity on both regional and global fronts. Let’s continue working together for a more secure digital future, especially on the PPP front! 💻🔒

2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy here.