Microsoft Appoints Indonesia To Be A Member Of The Asia Pacific Cyber Security Council

JAKARTA – To stem the rise of cybercrime, Microsoft has formed the Cyber Security Executive Council for the Asia Pacific region. This is intended to eradicate the threat of cyber attacks as well as to establish communication between countries in the Asia Pacific in the field of cybersecurity.

Microsoft connects policymakers from state agencies, governments, and technology industry leaders. The Microsoft Cybersecurity Executive Board consists of 15teen policymakers from 7 countries, namely Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

General Manager of Microsoft Asia Pacific, Sherie Ng stated that cybercrime and threats are unavoidable in today's interconnected world.

"That's why our collective strength and collaboration as a community is so important", Sherie said in a statement on Microsoft's official website.

According to her, the threat of malware and ransomware in the Asia Pacific region is 1.6 percent higher and 1.7 percent higher than malware attacks that occur in the world.

Based on data from Microsoft Defender telemetry, cases of malware attacks in Indonesia have decreased by 24 percent in the last 18 months. However, malware threats have increased by 31 percent.

So far, no one has been able to fight cyber threats alone. Therefore, cooperation between countries in the Asia Pacific region is needed. With the establishment of the Cyber Security Executive Council by Microsoft, it is hoped that it will be able to effectively fight transnational cybercrime.

Not only supported by professional cybersecurity practitioners from Microsoft, but this decision also received support from these countries. This cooperation signifies the fight against cyberattacks together.

Member countries can also share information related to cyber threats, resources, and technology to fight crime that is rampant in cyberspace.

Member countries will hold regular virtual meetings to exchange information regarding cybersecurity threats and solutions.

"Our shared mission is to build a strong coalition, to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses", said Sherie.

Countries that are members of the Asia Pacific Public Sector Cybersecurity Executive Council through governments and country leaders will participate in a forum that includes cybersecurity advisers and Microsoft. They will receive training and practicals to obtain security certification from Microsoft.

This is intended to close the gap in the cybersecurity capabilities of other countries in the world in combating cyber threats.