European Union and Indo-Pacific partners met for the second time in Brussels from 7 to 9 November 2023 on the occasion of cyber course entitled ‘The Role of the EU Cyber Ecosystem in Global Cybersecurity Stability’, co-rganised by the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). In line with the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, this ESDC cyber event brought together around 70 representatives from EU Member States, EU Institutions and several Indo-Pacific partners, namely: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Laos, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Philippines, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste.
It has been a great honour for the ESDC to co-organise this important cyber event with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the EU-funded project “Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia” (ESIWA).
Opening keynote speeches were delivered by : Ms. Joanneke Balfoort, Director of Security and Defence Policy (SECDEFPOL) at the European External Action Service (EEAS); by Mr. Ernst Noorman, Ambassador-at-Large for Security and Cyber at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; by Mr. Fergal O Regan – Deputy Head of the ESDC); and by Mr. Pierre Mayaudon, Co-Director of the ESIWA project.
This ESDC course has provided participants with a better understanding of the EU cybersecurity ecosystem, including its key policies, regulations and instruments, as well as the role of the EU cybersecurity ecosystem in strengthening global security, stability, building trust and facilitating cooperation between nations.
This cyber course is one of several cyber activities organised by the ESDC Cyber ETEE platform (cyber education, training, exercise and evaluation). The overall aim of the platform is to address cybersecurity, to provide defence training to civilian and military personnel, and to include CSDP requirements in all relevant training for EU Member States. The platform deals with all domains of cybersecurity, including cyber crime, network information security, cyber defence and external relations.
During the three-day course, discussions covered the following topics:
- The EU Cyber Ecosystem: presentation of the European Union
- The EU Cyber Ecosystem: presentation of EU institutions, agencies & bodies with cyber-related tasks
- Cybersecurity in the Region: global cooperation in cyber security. Presentations from the Indo-Pacific region to provide a regional perspective on cyber diplomacy, cybersecurity and/or cyber capacity building
- Global Cyber Context: ‘Main global cybersecurity trends, threat landscape and key actors’ and ‘Normative framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, including confidence-building measures (CBMs)’
- The EU Strategic Framework: the EU Cybersecurity Strategy for the Digital Decade
- Experience and approach from an EU Member State: ‘The approach and priorities of the Netherlands in cybersecurity and cyber diplomacy’
- The EU’s International Cooperation and Cyber Capacity Building – initiatives to increase global cyber resilience: framework for the EU’s external cyber capacity building – EU External Cyber Capacity Building Network (EU projects and other support possibilities in Asia-Pacific countries)
- Building resilience and mitigating cyber threats: The EU’s Joint Framework on Countering Hybrid Threats
- A Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) example
The event was a great success. It provided an excellent opportunity for participants from the Indo-Pacific countries to be exposed to key issues connected to global cyber security stability, and it was a unique opportunity to network with course members sent by European Member States and to get to know top-flight experts and lecturers.
The ESDC would like to thank the speakers/experts for their exceptional contributions and valuable input and suggestions, namely:
All of the distinguished lecturers from the main stakeholders of the European cyber ecosystem: the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European External Action Service (EEAS), EDA, ENISA, CERT-EU, EUROPOL, EU-LISA, EUISS and Hybrid CoE, as well as all of the distinguished speakers from Clingendael, EU Cyber Direct, C-PROC, GFCE and EU CyberNet.
Special thanks go to the course directors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the ESIWA Project, their staff, and all of the participants for their active participation and commitment.
Finally we would also like to warmly thank the various Indo-Pacific institutions and bodies involved during the organisation of this cyber event, namely:
The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, the Cyber Security Agency of Brunei, the Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines, the Department of Multilateral Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, the Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity and Communications, the Ministry of Trade, the Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications of Fiji, the Indonesian Air Force, the Indonesian Navy HQ, the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) of the Republic of Korea, the LaoCERT of the Lao PDR, the Maldives Police Service, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Indonesia, the Ministry of Communication and Aviation of the Solomon Islands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & External Trade of the Solomon Islands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh, the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam, the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services of the Solomon Islands, the Ministry of Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, the National Centre for Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity of Japan, the National Cyber Security Agency of Thailand, the National Security Council of Malaysia, the Office of the National Security Council of Thailand, the Philippines National Police, and the Royal Thai Police.
