February 17, 2025 Holding the Cybersecurity Training and Exercise Program for Pacific Island Countries and Region (Second Session of FY 2024)

　From Friday, February 7 to Friday, February 14, 2025, the second cybersecurity training and exercise program for Pacific Island Countries and Region in FY 2024 was held in Guam.
　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will continue to explore the provision of cybersecurity exercises tailored to the current status and needs of Pacific Island countries and region, and is committed to enhancing the cybersecurity capacity of these countries and region.

1. Background and Outline

　Given that cyberspace transcends national borders, promoting international cooperation is essential for ensuring cybersecurity. To mitigate global cybersecurity risks, including those faced by Japan, it is crucial to provide capacity-building support to developing countries, particularly in Indo-Pacific region. This initiative will contribute to the development of international human resources.
　As part of the government’s efforts to realize a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP), MIC has been conducting cybersecurity capacity-building exercises since last fiscal year. The participants include cybersecurity practitioners from relevant government agencies and critical infrastructure providers related to ICT and telecommunications from Pacific Island countries and region, which are advancing in infrastructure development, digitalization, and occupy strategically important geographic locations.
　From Friday February 7 to Friday, February 14, 2025, a cybersecurity capacity-building exercise was held in Guam, including training on fundamental knowledge on cybersecurity and a practical cyber defense exercise (CYDER) (*1), with a total of 26 participants from 11 Pacific Island countries and 1 region.
　Moving forward, MIC will further explore how to provide exercises tailored to the current status and specific needs of cybersecurity in Pacific Island countries and regions, thereby contributing to the development of cybersecurity capacity in these regions.

(*1) CYDER (Cyber Defense Exercise with Recurrence) is a hands-on, practical cyber defense exercise conducted by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan for information systems personnel in national administrative agencies, local governments, independent administrative institutions, and critical infrastructure providers.

2. Event Overview

Date and place: From Friday, February 7 to Friday, February 14, 2025, Guam
Participants: Government officials and critical infrastructure providers related to ICT and telecommunications from Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, and French Polynesia.
Organizer: MIC