The Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT) today has successfully completed its annual drill to test the response capabilities of leading Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRT) among Asia Pacific economies.

The theme of this year’s APCERT Drill is “When Ransomware Meets Generative AI.” This exercise reflects emerging real-world cybersecurity threats posed by the malicious use of Generative AI, an evolving technology that is increasingly being misused by cyber threat actors. Participating teams reviewed and tested their incident response procedures through simulated scenarios involving malicious code unintentionally generated by Generative AI, exploitation of open-source vulnerabilities, and so on. This incident response exercise provided an opportunity for participating teams to review and strengthen their response procedures against evolving Generative AI-enabled threats, emphasizing the importance of proactive preparedness in an era of rapidly advancing technologies.

The drill supports APCERT’s vision of a “safe, clean, and reliable cyber space in the Asia Pacific Region through global collaboration,” enabling teams to practice their procedures in a safe and controlled environment.

 24 CSIRTs from 18 economies of APCERT (Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Bhutan, People’s Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) participated in the drill. From the external parties, 3 CSIRTs from 2 economies of OIC-CERT and AfricaCERT participated.