Cybersecurity
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Global Commons
Severed data cables linked to PRC-flagged cargo ship, European officials say
FORUM Staff European defense and government officials said a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-flagged vessel is a prime suspect after two undersea internet cables were severed in a span of hours in mid-November 2024. The cargo carrier Yi Peng 3 left a Russian port and sailed over both cables in the Baltic Sea about the time they were damaged. The…
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Global Commons
Combined cyber defense network progresses in Japan, Philippines, U.S. talks
FORUM Staff Japan, the Philippines and the United States are advancing their cyber defense framework to safeguard critical infrastructure and government information amid increasing attacks. Foreign policy officials held a cyber and digital dialogue on the sidelines of the Singapore International Cyber Week in October 2024 to discuss trilateral cooperation in cyberspace, including civilian cybersecurity capacity building, cybersecurity workforce development,…
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Indo-Pacific View
Dear Readers, W elcome to Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM’s issue on next-generation threats. Adm. Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, has championed the advancement of new and emerging capabilities, ranging from tools employing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to drone swarms, advanced weapons, and integrated air and missile defense systems. Such developments are changing strategic cooperation, competition and…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
South Korea enhances regional security role
FORUM Staff Seoul is reinforcing security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and beyond as tensions flare in the economically important South China Sea and North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations persist. South Korea upgraded ties with the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October 2024. Singapore and Seoul signed agreements on supply chain and liquefied natural gas…
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Global Commons
Indonesia and Thailand expand defense ties, focus on space, cyber, joint exercises
Gusty Da Costa Indonesian and Thai Air Forces are enhancing their defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, focusing on space and cyber defense, joint exercises, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). During a recent visit to Thailand, Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Tonny Harjono met with Royal Thai Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul to…
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Global Commons
U.S. monitoring, disrupting Cuba-PRC spy bases
FORUM Staff Expanded spy stations in Cuba suggest the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is attempting to monitor United States military activities and potentially intercept commercial communications, according to a July 2024 report from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The study follows a 2023 report by The Wall Street Journal newspaper that the PRC was…
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Global Commons
How China, Russia hope AI will help manipulate information
FORUM Staff Malign actors in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia and elsewhere have used artificial intelligence (AI) — although with negligible effect — to enhance manipulated information schemes, according to researchers. OpenAI, the United States-based developer of the AI chatbot ChatGPT, reported in mid-2024 it had detected and disrupted at least five covert influence operations that used its…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC hackers increase aim at Taiwan targets, report says
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A suspected People’s Republic of China (PRC)-sponsored hacking group has stepped up its targeting of organizations in Taiwan, particularly those in government, education, technology and diplomacy, according to cybersecurity intelligence company Recorded Future. In recent years, relations have deteriorated between the PRC and Taiwan, a self-governed island across the Taiwan Strait that Beijing claims as its territory…
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Features
Alliances and Partnerships
Dr. Alfred Oehlers/Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Photos by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS We often hear that alliances and partnerships are a vital asset. These relationships distinguish the United States from its competitors. They also confer decisive advantages, especially at crucial moments. As the U.S. faces future challenges, it likely will again turn to Allies and Partners for…
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Features
Persistent partnerships in cyberspace
FORUM Staff When Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Lt. Gen. Hiroe Jiro went to Ukraine in 2020, the nation’s sophisticated cyber defenses came as a surprise. It was six years after Russia seized Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine, launching a yearslong cyber onslaught along the way. Russian-affiliated cyberattacks targeted Ukraine’s Central Election Commission, took down power grids and unleashed malware. Disruptive…
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