Cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly prevalent and sophisticate. This Thematic Brief discusses what these emerging threats mean in the South Asian context, including cybercrime, cyberespionage, and cyberterrorism. It highlights the challenges that policymakers face in governing cyberspace and establishing a common set of rules to address these issues due to a range of inter-state and intra-state challenges.

The brief does so by examining the links between cybersecurity and good security sector governance (SSG), as well as the role of international cyber norms. Using two major incidents as case studies, the brief sheds further light on the cyberthreat landscape in South Asia and provides recommendations for promoting good SSG in cyberspace.

The issue of trust is a key obstacle to the effective governance of cyberspace.

South Asia is far from alone in dealing with the challenges of governing cyberspace and establishing a common set of rules to address these issues. Lessons learned in South Asia can be applied elsewhere, and the recommendations provided in the brief may also be applicable to other regions and countries facing similar challenges.