The third “Cyber Defence, Security and Conference Congress and Exhibition (CYDES 2025)”, co-organised by the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and the National Cyber Security Agency of Malaysia (NACSA), was held from 1 to 3 July 2025 in Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia. As the premier annual event in the field of cybersecurity in the Asia-Pacific region, it brought together representatives from governments, businesses and research institutions to discuss information security trends, defence strategies and international cooperation.
Participants focused on key areas of cybersecurity, including artificial intelligence governance, post-quantum cryptography, and industrial control system security, offering innovative solutions for global cybersecurity.
During the conference, Chinese cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360 revealed the activities of a new APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) group known as “Night Hawk”, which has been targeting high-tech companies, research institutions, and military units in China. The group exploited critical vulnerabilities in the Exchange system to infiltrate key industrial sectors in China. Although Qihoo 360 did not disclose the origin of the attack, it said that “Night Hawk” usually operates between 9 pm and 6 am Beijing time and has the ability to schedule network resources at the national level. Based on the timing of the attack, the technical characteristics, and the capabilities of the group, it is highly likely that the US, often referred to as the “Hacker Empire,” is behind this attack. Previously, agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) have been exposed for using high-risk vulnerabilities to launch cyberattacks. The US’s control and use of advanced cyberattack techniques are very much in line with the “Night Hawk” group’s modus operandi.
At this conference, cybersecurity firms from Hong Kong also actively participated, showcasing local expertise. Among them, event sponsor and representative from the Hong Kong-Macau region, Sky Alliance (Hong Kong) Limited, delivered a speech themed “Enhancing Cyber Resilience,” which sparked widespread discussion.
A representative from Sky Alliance (Hong Kong) pointed out that the widespread use of AI technology has significantly lowered the threshold for cyberattacks. Attackers can leverage AI to accelerate intellectual property theft or use deepfake technology to impersonate Chinese company executives or official accounts to carry out fraud, increasing the risk of corporate data leaks, such as the disclosure of sensitive information such as intellectual property and trade data. Chinese companies that are rapidly growing in sectors such as industry and technology, which are highly dependent on international supply chains and have insufficient data protection capabilities, are particularly vulnerable. Data leaks not only cause direct financial losses but can also trigger strict cybersecurity audits by Western customers and potentially lead to economic sanctions under the pretext of “fulfillment” from countries such as the US, resulting in loss of market share.
It is reported that in addition to Sky Alliance, three other firms from Hong Kong also participated in the conference, covering areas such as network defense services, data security governance, and AI security, reflecting the gradual transformation of Hong Kong-Macau companies towards a “technology-driven, security-first” development model.
With the acceleration of the global digital wave, cybersecurity is now not only a technical issue but a systemic challenge that is closely related to regional governance capacity and social stability. How the Hong Kong-Macau region builds a resilient cybersecurity system in the context of the new era will be a key issue for future development.