CSIRT Asi@Connect and Mini-TRANSITS

Building Cybersecurity Capacity Across Asia Pacific

Project Overview

The CSIRT Asi@Connect and Mini-TRANSITS project was implemented as part of APAN44 in Dalian, China, focusing on building CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team) capacity in six underrepresented Asi@Connect beneficiary economies. Through dedicated coordination meetings and training workshops, the initiative addressed key challenges related to trust, information sharing, and skills development across Asia Pacific NRENs.

46 Total Participants
14 Economies Engaged
34 Organizations
90% Rated "Very Useful"

Beneficiary Countries

🇦🇫 Afghanistan
🇵🇰 Pakistan
🇳🇵 Nepal
🇧🇹 Bhutan
🇰🇭 Cambodia
🇵🇭 Philippines

Project Objectives

Main Objective: To initiate and support CSIRT development across underserved Asi@Connect economies by hosting a regional forum and training session focused on trust-building, capacity development, and incident readiness.

Sub-objectives

Regional Coordination: Organize a regional CSIRT coordination meeting at APAN44
Training Delivery: Conduct Mini-TRANSITS training to support CSIRT formation
Gap Analysis: Map CSIRT maturity and perform gap analysis across beneficiary NRENs
Community Building: Facilitate connections with GÉANT's TF-CSIRT and Trusted Introducer communities

Activities Conducted

August 31, 2017

CSIRT Asi@Connect Meeting

Convened 25 participants from 18 organizations across 8 countries. Participants shared national CSIRT status and discussed challenges related to trust, collaboration, and readiness.

September 1, 2017

Mini-TRANSITS Workshop

Conducted a compressed TRANSITS I course led by APNIC, covering CSIRT operations, incident response, and policy basics. Attended by 40 participants from 13 economies representing 29 organizations.

Ongoing

Gap Analysis of CSIRT Status

Mapped status of CSIRT functions in 6 missing territories and broader regional partners. Identified need for stronger collaboration and affordable training.

Key Outcomes

🗺️ CSIRT Gap Mapping

CSIRT readiness status identified in 6 underserved economies with plans for localized development.

🤝 Regional Engagement

Participants from 14 economies and 34 institutions collaborated on future security strategies.

📚 Training Success

Mini-TRANSITS workshop introduced core CSIRT competencies to 40 professionals from 13 economies.

⭐ Positive Impact

Over 90% of attendees rated the workshop as "very useful" with demand for further sessions.

Challenges Identified

CSIRT Maturity Gap: Most teams did not meet criteria to qualify for Trusted Introducer "Listed" status.
Travel Restrictions: Bhutan was unable to attend due to visa and travel documentation issues.
Peer Sponsorship: Absence of accredited CSIRT peers hindered formal endorsement and listing of emerging teams.

Future Directions

🎯 Follow-Up Training

Pakistan and Bhutan have requested full TRANSITS I courses for national deployment.

🌐 Regional Community

Work with APAN Task Force to embed CSIRT activities in the Asia-Pacific NREN ecosystem.

📈 Long-Term Development

Establish a recurring program for hands-on security training, trust-building, and knowledge sharing.

Partner Organizations

This project was made possible through collaboration between GÉANT Association (Project Lead), APNIC Foundation, TEIN*CC, and various national NRENs including PERN, AfgREN, and DOIT Nepal.