Singapore will commit a further S$30 million over the next five years to strengthen regional cybersecurity capacity building through the ASEAN Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), as ASEAN faces increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and growing digital interconnectedness.
The commitment was announced by Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information and Minister-in-charge of Cybersecurity and Smart Nation Group, at Singapore International Cyber Week 2026.
The new funding builds on the S$30 million Singapore has committed to regional cybersecurity capacity building over the past eight years. Since ASCCE’s establishment in 2019, Singapore said it has worked with more than 40 partners, including ASEAN Dialogue Partners, international organisations, industry and academia, to deliver cybersecurity capacity-building programmes benefiting over 2,200 participants from ASEAN, the Pacific Islands and beyond.
The announcement comes as ASEAN’s digital economies expand and become more interconnected, increasing the potential for cyber incidents to have cross-border consequences. Singapore’s statement noted that cyber threats can transcend national borders, while disruptions to connected digital systems and services can affect organisations and countries beyond the original target.
Singapore pointed to several areas increasing pressure on national cyber defences, including attacks against critical infrastructure, the use of artificial intelligence by malicious actors, and transnational cybercrime. The government said these challenges require stronger national capabilities as well as closer operational cooperation and collective response among countries.
According to the statement, the additional S$30 million will support the continued development and delivery of ASCCE programmes over the next five years, focusing on cyber incident response, protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, AI-related cybersecurity risks and cyber diplomacy. Funding will be deployed progressively based on programme needs and evolving regional priorities.
ASCCE was established in 2019 and builds on the ASEAN Cyber Capacity Programme, which supports multi-disciplinary cybersecurity capacity building. Singapore said ASCCE programmes cover cyber policy development, CERT-related operational and technical training, international law and cyber diplomacy, and national cyber leadership development.
