March 16, 2026 Implementation of Public-Private Cybersecurity Exercises at the ASEAN‑Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC)

　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) conducted for the first time at the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC) exercises and related training in collaboration with Japanese private companies.
　Under a public-private partnership, the MIC will continue to strengthen international cooperation to address cyber threats that are difficult for a single country to tackle, contributing to the enhancement of cybersecurity capabilities across the ASEAN region through the implementation of exercises and other programs.

１　Background and Outline

　In recent years, cyberattacks targeting governments and critical infrastructure operators have increased worldwide, and threats in cyberspace have grown more complex. Developing human resources capable of responding effectively to these threats has become a shared challenge in Japan and internationally.

　Against this backdrop, the MIC, in cooperation with ASEAN Member States, established the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC) in September 2018. Through exercise‑based training programs, most notably the hands‑on Cyber Defense Exercise with Recurrence (CYDER),* the Centre provides capacity‑building support for government officials and related personnel from ASEAN countries.

　To further advance these efforts and bolster the ability to respond to increasingly sophisticated and elaborate cyberattacks, the MIC has been expanding and diversifying the AJCCBC’s training programs. As part of these efforts, the MIC implemented for the first time exercises in partnership with private companies. In December 2025, the AJCCBC delivered online training aimed at improving the ability to respond to targeted email attacks and strengthening operational and administrative skills that underpin the secure use of cloud services. Building on that curriculum, in March 2026, the Centre conducted in‑person exercises focused on identifying and analyzing cyber threats and implementing effective defensive measures.

　Considering that international capacity‑building assistance is clearly positioned as a key policy measure in both the Cybersecurity Strategy (decided by the Cabinet in December 23, 2025) and the Basic Policy on Capacity‑Building Assistance to Developing Countries in the Field of Cybersecurity (decided by the Cybersecurity Strategy Headquarters in December 2021), the MIC will continue to promote international cooperation and capacity‑building support, centered on the AJCCBC’s initiatives, to help realize a free, fair, and secure cyberspace.

　*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) for information system personnel of national government agencies, local governments, independent administrative agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and others.

２　Event Overview

Date: Online training: December 9 and 11, 2025
In person exercises: March 10–13, 2026

Venue: AJCCBC (within the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) of Thailand)

Participants: Government officials of ASEAN Member States, critical infrastructure　operators, etc.

Organizers: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC)
ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC)

Cooperation: National Cyber Security Agency (Thailand), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), AMIYA Corporation, Cyber Security Cloud, Inc., GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae, Inc., and MACNICA, Inc.

Note: Similar initiatives are planned for the next fiscal year.