US focused on expanding security tie-ups in Indo-Pacific: Alejandro Mayorkas

US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has said the US was focused on expanding its security collaborations in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the fields of maritime and cyber security.

Speaking to journalists across the region, Mayorkas said their intention was to enhance the US Coast Guard’s presence in the Indo-Pacific starting March next year. According to Mayorkas, Washington has earmarked around $60 million to fund new regional maritime initiatives that will see American personnel and assets deployed to assist partners. While he declined to comment on specific plans, he mentioned the need to counter illegal fishing and defend the sovereignty of nations in the region.

The US is also going to step up its cyber diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific, Mayorkas said. The secretary is on a visit to Southeast Asia for the Singapore International Cyber Week. The event attracted senior ministers and officials from Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. Meetings with representatives from Vietnam, Israel and other partners are expected to take place in the next few days.

“The cyber security of our respective countries and our collective security is a vital issue - and more so than it has ever been in the past”, said Mayorkas during his remarks to the press. “We have seen quite a number of attacks perpetrated by cybercriminals as well as by adverse nation states such as Russia, the People’s Republic of China, North Korea and Iran”, he added.

The US, Mayorkas said, will look to step up cooperation in the region to develop “a free and open cyber ecosystem”. Cyber attacks are likely to spread across boundaries and require joint responses to secure both national and international cyber-domains. America’s Cybersecurity and International Security Agency, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, has been a key focal point for the country’s cyber-diplomacy efforts.

“Our cooperation on cybersecurity takes many forms. We share information with respect to cyber threats, vulnerabilities and how to patch vulnerabilities,” said Mayorkas. Pointing to the rise in devastating ransomware attacks, Mayorkas spoke of the importance of regional cyber emergency response teams that are able to respond to threats.

US also sees China as a significant threat to regional cybersecurity. In response to a question on Beijing’s drive to build much of the Indo-Pacific’s cyber infrastructure, Mayorkas said “countries are well aware of the risks involved in doing business with and relying on the technological infrastructure provided by the PRC.” He said reliance on Chinese-built infrastructure creates significant technological vulnerability. “It is a risk we have communicated to countries,” Mayorkas said.