Partners in cybersecurity

Dear friends,

In what will be one of my last letters to you as Australia’s Ambassador to the Philippines, I wanted to take time to highlight the great progress we have made together, in fortifying cybersecurity in our region.

For Australia, cyber and critical technology are priorities. Our support to the Philippines on cyber affairs has been steadily growing for many years. Cooperation has focused on a range of important issues, including: fighting cybercrime, building cyber resilience across sectors and supporting the growing digital economy here in the Philippines.

In February 2024, during President Marcos’ state visit to Australia, I was privileged to witness our two countries sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cyber and Critical Technology Cooperation. A formal agreement to increase cooperation and share knowledge. It epitomizes our two country’s commitment to a stronger and more cyber resilient region.

But what does this mean in practice?

Australia and the Philippines have worked tirelessly over many years to thwart transnational cyber-enabled crime. Using our strong bilateral and multilateral arrangements, including among law enforcement agencies like the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), we have been able to reduce the impact of scams and other cyber-enabled crime on Filipinos and Australian citizens alike.

Just last month, Australia led the inaugural Cybercrime Leaders Working Group (CLWG) in Cebu. Here, leaders of cybercrime units in the national police forces of ASEAN member-states exchanged cybercrime perspectives, discussed regional cybercrime threats and formed ongoing partnerships for regional cooperation.

In November last year, I outlined Australia’s ambition to deepen its collaboration with the Philippines on cyber policy and incident response. And I am pleased we have not just met this goal but vastly exceeded it.

The Philippines recently welcomed Australian cyber experts to deliver robust cyber training packages for key government agencies. Led by Australian cyber security firm, CyberCX, the training exercises tested the Philippines’ resolve in tackling cyber threats head-on. In real-time, participants from the Philippine government and private sector detected, isolated, controlled and mitigated the risks posed by a cyber-attack on critical infrastructure. This training was part of Australia’s recently announced regional cyber capacity building initiative, Southeast Asia and Pacific Cyber Program (SEA-PAC Cyber) and is yet another shining example of our strategic partnership in action.

Cyber affairs and critical technology underpin our national security, the protection and realization of human rights and freedoms, global economic prosperity, sustainable development and international stability. Over the next four years to 2028, SEA-PAC Cyber will see Australia work with the Philippines to enhance cyber security and critical technology capabilities, and strengthen incident preparedness and response. We will collaborate to promote regional and international cyber standards, as well as regulations to support an open, free and secure cyber ecosystem.

In February this year, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission’s (Austrade) organized a Technology Innovation Mission which brought 23 Australian technology companies, including 11 cybersecurity companies, to the Philippines.

These cybersecurity companies explored opportunities to support the growing digital economy and showcased their innovative capabilities to Philippine government agencies and local businesses. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up 99.5 percent of Philippine businesses, so there is significant untapped potential for technology solutions. This helped forge new relationships between the Philippines and Australia and paved the way for more collaboration in the future.

Australia is a big supporter of digital transformation in the Philippines. Our regional initiative, Partnerships for Infrastructure, supports the Department of Information and Communications Technology in developing the National Digital Connectivity Plan. The plan aims to unify digital infrastructure and enhance connectivity for Filipinos, no matter where they are in the country. We are also supporting submarine cable policy reform, through Australia’s Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre, which will boost the Philippines’ capability in becoming a major digital hub in the region.

In 2026, the Philippines will be the ASEAN chair, so upholding strong cyber security practices has never been more important. Australia’s goal is for a safe, secure and prosperous Australia, Indo-Pacific region and world, enabled by cyberspace and critical technology. We value the Philippines as a key partner in achieving this vision.

Our work on cyber today will make tomorrow more secure.

Stay cyber-secure,

HK

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HK Yu is the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines. You can follow Ambassador Yu on X (formerly Twitter) @AusAmbPH.