Cybersecurity

As part of JICA Cluster Strategy, JICA has prioritized cybersecurity as a critical area of focus. In response to the growing severity of cyber threats globally, JICA is committed to fostering a secure and resilient digital society under the vision of “Cybersecurity for All.” With a particular focus in the Indo-Pacific region, JICA promotes cybersecurity capacity development to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in developing countries through targeted efforts.

Historically, JICA has supported sustainable development in developing countries through support for institutional development and capability building. Leveraging decades of accumulated knowledge and best practices, JICA is now extending these efforts to the cybersecurity domain. The objective is to empower partner countries to autonomously manage evolving cyber risks and foster regional cooperation, ensuring the safety and stability of their digital ecosystems.

To strengthen cybersecurity resilience in developing countries, JICA provides comprehensive support across several domains—including the development of relevant legal and regulatory frameworks, formulation and promotion of national-level strategies and implementation structures, enhancement of technical capabilities to respond to threats, establishment of mechanisms to strengthen public and private sector capabilities, and collaboration among domestic and international organizations.

For example, in Indonesia, JICA has supported the capability building in cybersecurity for approximately six years since 2019. Through this project, JICA has assisted in establishing a cybersecurity education system for professionals at the University of Indonesia, one of the country’s leading academic institutions. This initiative aims to provide a continuous pipeline of skilled personnel to address the cybersecurity needs of critical information infrastructure sectors, including energy, transportation, and finance.

In Mongolia, JICA has collaborated with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, and the University of Oxford's Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre (GCSCC) to assess Mongolia’s cybersecurity capacity maturity. This initiative identified issues such as delays in legislation and a lack of budget and skilled personnel. Based on these findings, JICA has proposed pathways for improvement including strengthening security measures for critical infrastructure, enhancing education and training programs, and expanding international cooperation.

In addition to country-specific support, JICA also provides assistance for cross-country collaboration. For instance, JICA conducted a joint cyber defense exercise for Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines. These exercises utilize simulated environments (Cyber Range) to provide hands-on training in cyber defense. Participants (Blue Teams) respond to simulated cyberattacks launched by instructors (Red Teams) in the environment. JICA is also engaged in developing local instructors in the design, implementation, and delivery of such exercises to enable future rollouts by partner countries independently.

As part of its cooperation with the ASEAN region, JICA also supports initiatives at the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC) based in Thailand. These efforts include delivering cybersecurity training and youth-focused capability building programs, expanding collaboration with third-party organizations in the field of cybersecurity, and strengthening capabilities for information gathering and analysis. Through these activities, JICA contributes to the enhancement of a robust cybersecurity human resource development pipeline across the ASEAN region.

To date, JICA has supported cybersecurity human resource development and capacity building to approximately 50 countries, primarily in the Indo-Pacific region. In several of these nations, the knowledge and resources gained through JICA's support are now being utilized to establish self-reliant and sustainable national cybersecurity systems. These initiatives are helping countries shift from reactive approaches to proactive resilience-building in the cybersecurity space.