AsiaPulse

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 Manickam, Director, Cybersecurity Research Centre

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 societies in the years ahead.

Joining us is Muhammad Faizal Bin Abdul Rahman, Research Fellow (Regional Security Architecture Program) RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies

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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, Digital Impact Research at RSIS to discuss why regional cooperation has become a strategic necessity and how trusted partnerships between governments, defence organisations, academia and industry contribute to a more resilient digital future.

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 approach to resilience will play an increasingly important role in shaping Asia's future.

On the sidelines of the Digital Defence Symposium 2026, we speak with Dr Chester Cabalza, President and Founder of the International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC)

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 Krjukovs, Commanding Officer, National Guard of Latvia

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 defining capabilities of modern cyber defence—and why resilience is ultimately a shared responsibility.

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 through uncertainty and why adaptability will be one of the defining strengths of resilient organisations.

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 behind Advanced Persistent Defence and why seeing the campaign, rather than just the incident, is becoming central to modern cyber resilience.

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 Intelligence Service, explains why Singapore is rethinking cyber defence—and why resilience begins with recognising that modern cyber conflict is continuous, coordinated and campaign-driven.

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 Ping Identity