Bringing together around 4,000 experts from NATO member states and partner countries, Locked Shields 2026 simulated a large-scale cyberattack targeting air defence systems, power plants, and population databases.
This year’s exercise has drawn particular attention from the international community as defence against attacks powered by artificial intelligence (AI) has become a focal point.
This reflects a fundamental shift in the global security landscape in the digital age, as AI presents unprecedented challenges to safeguarding cyberspace. Amid the rapid advancement of information technology, particularly AI, this has become a shared challenge for the international community.
With its remarkable development in recent years, AI has emerged as a game-changing factor on the global cyber security front, reshaping the very nature of cyber threats.
Where cybercriminals once relied primarily on manual tools, they are now exploiting AI to automate attacks on an ever greater scale and with increasing sophistication.
Deepfake technology can generate highly convincing fake images, voices, and audio. Many forms of malware are now capable of learning and adapting to bypass traditional defence systems. According to the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), this has contributed to the surge in cybercrime in recent years, turning it into a “pandemic” that threatens all nations.
Alarmingly, cyberattacks are expanding in scope—from data theft, fraud, and extortion to assaults on critical infrastructure, production lines, and key industries across multiple countries. This undermines trust in digital transformation processes while inflicting severe economic damage.
Cyber security is no longer merely a technical issue but has become a matter of vital importance to the global economy. In the global business risk rankings of Allianz, one of the world’s leading insurers, cyber security ranks as the top concern in many major economies, including the US, Germany, France, Japan, the UK, and India. It is also the leading risk across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Global losses caused by cybercrime are estimated to reach trillions of USD annually.
In response to these challenges, many countries have moved swiftly to strengthen their digital defences to safeguard sovereignty, economic stability, and national security.
India has recently unveiled its first national policy on cyber security and counter-terrorism, aiming to proactively address security threats in the digital era. Malaysia has announced plans to introduce a new Cybercrime Bill and establish a Cyber Security and Cryptology Development Centre.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Government has approved a five-year cyber security strategy focusing on proactive defence measures against the growing threat of cyberattacks. Notably, with its superior processing capabilities, AI is regarded by many countries as an effective tool for the timely detection and response to potential threats.
The battle in cyberspace has become an unavoidable reality in the digital age. However, due to the borderless nature of cyberspace, combating hackers is not a challenge that any single nation or organisation can tackle alone.
Exploiting jurisdictional gaps between countries, hacker groups continue to target victims across multiple nations. In this context, strengthening international cooperation has become an urgent necessity for the world to gain the upper hand on this silent yet arduous frontline.
