AsiaPulse

Critical infrastructure cybersecurity is often discussed in terms of prevention: stopping attackers, protecting networks and securing operational systems. But resilience begins with a more difficult assumption: Something has already gone wrong. What began as a cyber incident can quickly become an operational crisis. At that point, the question is no longer simply whether an organisation can contai...

Government digitalisation is changing how public services are delivered — from digital identity and cloud services to connected infrastructure, data platforms and increasingly AI-enabled systems. But greater digital dependence also raises the stakes. Connectivity must be reliable, systems must be secure, and essential services must remain available even when infrastructure is disrupted or attacked...

When people hear the words critical infrastructure, they often think of power stations, airports or water treatment plants. But increasingly, the infrastructure that keeps our societies functioning isn't just physical. But the infrastructure that keeps modern societies functioning is increasingly interconnected. Energy depends on communications. Financial systems depend on digital networks. Lo...

Twenty years ago, cyber largely supported military operations. Today, military operations increasingly depend upon it. Communications, command and control, intelligence, navigation and increasingly autonomous systems all rely upon secure and resilient digital infrastructure. The consequence is significant. The digital domain is no longer simply supporting military operations. It is becoming an ope...

Cybersecurity is increasingly becoming a question not simply of how well technology performs, but of where that technology comes from, who controls it and how much a country can depend upon capabilities developed elsewhere. For Malaysia, that raises a strategic question. As government, critical infrastructure and businesses become increasingly dependent on digital systems, how much of the technolo...

Energy security once centred heavily on physical assets — pipelines, platforms, refineries and tankers. The transition towards renewable energy is creating a more distributed, connected and increasingly digital infrastructure. That changes the security equation. From traditional oil and gas facilities to renewable generation, subsea transmission cables and interconnected power systems, how does Ma...

Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, persistent and global. From nation-state activity and ransomware to AI-enabled attacks and influence operations, organisations today operate in a rapidly evolving threat environment. And what about IDs for Artificial Intelligence agents? In this episode of AsiaPulse, Lim Yihao, Lead Threat Intelligence Advisor for JAPAC & MEA at Google spe...

At the heart of resilience lies trust. As artificial intelligence reshapes the creation, distribution and consumption of information, leaders face an increasingly complex environment characterised by misinformation, information overload and rapidly evolving technologies. This conversation explores how governments, businesses and media organisations can preserve trust, improve decision-making and n...

Organisations today operate in an environment where geopolitical tensions, cyber threats, information risks and economic uncertainty are increasingly interconnected. Traditional approaches to risk management are no longer sufficient. This week we explore how leaders understand interconnected risks, prepare for uncertainty and build organisations that are capable of adapting in an increasingly comp...

Season 3 of AsiaPulse continues to explore Resilience in an Era of Strategic Competition. No country can build resilience in isolation. From supply chains and maritime security to disaster response and critical infrastructure, many of today's challenges transcend national borders. In this episode, we explore the role of ASEAN and regional cooperation in strengthening resilience across Southeas...

Digital systems have become part of our critical infrastructure and cybersecurity is increasingly a matter of national resilience rather than simply information technology. How has digital interconnectedness changed the threat landscape? and Are organisations becoming more efficient at the expense of resilience? These are some of the questions we explore this week with Professor Selvakumar Manicka...

As geopolitical competition intensifies, resilience is no longer defined solely by military capability. Increasingly, it encompasses economic security, strategic partnerships, technological competitiveness and institutional adaptability. This week, we explore how Southeast Asia is navigating an increasingly complex strategic landscape, and what resilience means for governments, businesses and soci...

Digital threats do not respect national borders. Cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and emerging technologies increasingly affect governments, businesses and societies across the region, making collaboration more important than ever. On the sidelines of the Digital Defense Symposium 2026, we speak with Mr Benjamin Ang, Senior Fellow, Head of Centre of Excellence for National Security; Head, Di...

Digital resilience cannot be separated from the wider geopolitical environment. As strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, countries are increasingly confronting challenges that span cyber operations, information campaigns, critical infrastructure and emerging technologies. We explore how digital defence fits into the broader regional security landscape and why ASEAN's appro...

In this special AsiaPulse series in collaboration with Digital Defence Symposium 2026.  We discuss how the nature of defence is undergoing profound transformation with emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, cyber operations and information campaigns reshaping the security landscape, challenging military organisations to adapt faster than ever before. We speak with Brigadier General Aivars...

Digital resilience cannot be achieved by governments or defence organisations alone. It depends on trusted partnerships across industry, academia and the wider community, working together to strengthen the security of the digital ecosystem. In the concluding chapter of Road to the Digital Defence Symposium 2026 , Brigadier General Clarence Cai discusses why collaboration has become one of the defi...

Digital defence is constantly evolving. As artificial intelligence, automation and emerging technologies reshape the threat landscape, defence organisations must prepare not only for today's challenges, but those still on the horizon. In Chapter 3 of Road to the Digital Defence Symposium 2026 , Brigadier General Clarence Cai shares his perspective on building future-ready capabilities, leading...

Modern cyber campaigns are designed to remain hidden, often blending into legitimate activity over long periods of time. Detecting them requires more than technology—it demands the ability to recognise patterns, connect weak signals and understand the broader operating environment. In Chapter 2 of Road to the Digital Defence Symposium 2026 , Brigadier General Clarence Cai explores the thinking beh...

For years, cyber defence has focused on responding to incidents. But today's adversaries often operate patiently, seeking to establish persistence rather than immediate disruption. In this opening chapter of Road to the Digital Defence Symposium 2026 , Brigadier General Clarence Cai, Commander of the Defence Cyber Command and Defence Cyber Chief of the Singapore Armed Forces' Digital and I...

The rise of digital wallets has accelerated the shift toward secure, mobile-based identity verification. Businesses face the challenge of overcoming adoption barriers while meeting the growing demand for friction-less, secure experiences.  In our season finale, we discuss the Rise of Digital Wallets and Holiday Traffic: Is Your Login Experience Ready Joining us is Johan Fantenberg, Director at Pin...

AI in IT has been big on hype, but short on returns. In fact, a recent study revealed just 25% of AI projects have met expected ROI, with only 16% scaled enterprise-wide.  Yet Freshworks’ latest Benchmark Report offers a rare counterpoint showing AI actively delivering measurable, scaled results for IT and employee experience leaders worldwide.  This week, we speak with Simon Man, Managing Directo...

Over the next three years, more than 80% of organisations plan to embed Agentic AI into their operations; introducing autonomous agents that can make decisions and act without human approval.  While this promises significant productivity gains, it also intensifies a growing blind spot in cybersecurity: Non-Human Identities (NHIs) now outnumber employees by a staggering 80:1, yet security teams oft...

We continue our conversation around DronTech Asia 2025 which took place from the 30th of September to the 2nd of October at MITEC Kuala Lumpur. In case you missed it, the conference showcased how drones are transforming industries across agriculture, energy, transportation, infrastructure, services, defence and security, entertainment, and more. It’s not just about technology — it’s about how dron...

If you look at the Singapore tourism sector, the projected economic impact of S$66.1 billion in 2024 (9.8% of GDP) — the pressure is back on hotels, restaurants, and venues to attract and retain skilled staff. But training remains a challenge in a workforce where up to 40% of hospitality staff were foreign nationals pre-pandemic, often speaking multiple languages and coming from diverse cultural b...

According to the World Economic Forum, 39% of core skills required in the workforce will change by 2030. Generative AI expert and co-founder of Straits Interactive, Alvin Toh shares with us his observations about how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the future of work across Southeast Asia. Plus, we discuss if only certain jobs should have a right to use AI.  This is an Asia Collect...