SINGAPORE – International discussions about cybernorms must continue among nations, even those with different viewpoints, to avoid misunderstandings that can lead to costly mistakes.
Highlighting this rationale for Singapore’s approach to cyberspace discussions, Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo said on Oct 23 that it is important that countries with divergent views hear one another out.
“It’s important when countries think about how they want to respond to issues, that they understand where the other side is coming from. If you don’t have the opportunity to hear people out, then you will have to make assumptions, and sometimes these assumptions are wrong,” said Mrs Teo.
She was speaking to the media in a round-up interview during the four-day Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) Conference held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
The 10th iteration of the cyber security conference saw 14,000 attendees from 90 countries and jurisdictions, including Russia, China, the United States and European countries.
There is no other conference that sees a gathering of these countries to discuss the issue of cyber security, said Mr David Koh, chief executive of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, which organised the event.
He added that over the course of the 10 years of SICW, conversations have shifted, and countries have realised that cyber security is not just an operational or technical issue.
“There are geopolitical considerations that have to be factored in as well, and Singapore’s ability to convene and bring countries who ordinarily don’t interact with one another… is significant,” said Mr Koh.
SICW offers countries the opportunity to have bilateral meetings away from the public eye, where they can highlight to their counterparts their most serious concerns, said Mrs Teo.
While such discussions may not always produce immediate solutions, they can promote better understanding.
Another benefit is being able to make a personal connection. “After that, we have each other’s phone numbers. You can contact each other when something happens and say, ‘Why is this developing in this direction?’” said Mrs Teo.
There are “no easy answers”, Mr Koh said, given that technology has advanced, with discussions now revolving around innovations such as cloud computing, agentic artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and how to leverage technology while guarding against harms.
