Cybersecurity in East Asia: Governing Anarchy

The 13 countries of ASEAN+3 are actively working towards creating a regional community in East Asia. At the same time, the regional countries have increasingly relied on web-based technologies to enable them to more efficiently use their resources. Even as this adoption of technology has assisted states, it has exposed them to new threats; with a growing number of East Asian networks and users now subject to a wide range of cyber attacks. These attacks have occurred within and across national boundaries with the transnational nature of cyber security making it difficult for governments to unilaterally securitize emergent cyber threats. As a result, it is becoming increasingly necessary for East Asian governments to protect their interests by working together. To do so effectively will require the adoption of policies and processes used to foster regional integration in other sectors and transfer them into the realm of cyberspace.