Podcast: Toby Feakin on the state of cybersecurity in Asia

Toby Feakin, director of the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, appears on the latest episode of The Cybersecurity Podcast. 

Asia is becoming a global center of gravity in cybersecurity: The region has seen the build up of offensive digital capability in nearly every state. Take North Korea, for example, which is notorious for restricting its citizens' access to the internet – but at the same time is making huge strides in growing its cyberwarfare program.

"Would it surprise people to know North Korea easily rates within the top 10 of militarized states in terms of their application of offensive cyber capabilities? To members of the broader public, it might," says Toby Feakin, director of the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, on the latest episode of The Cybersecurity Podcast.  

Discussing the release of his program's new assessment of the state of cybersecurity in Asia, Mr. Feakin notes that Pyongyang's digital buildup is worrying because of its history of acting without restraint. "They clearly see cyber means as a really easy, effective way of delivering irritation and potentially disproportionate impact on South [Korea]." 

For more on the landscape of digital threats and capabilities in Asia, and how the region compares to the US, check out the podcast on: iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Follow the hosts: Peter W. Singer | Sara Sorcher