Pacific delegates, including Tongans, attended the Pacific Telecommunications Security Expert Forum in Brisbane, Australia from 10-11 November. “We need more awareness of this enormous threat that comes with technology, and Tonga is in a very vulnerable position with our limited capacity, understanding and preparedness,” said Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, a delgate from Tonga's High Commission in Canberra,

Other delegates were Kolo Tokai MEIDECC (CERT), Chief System Analyst Digital Transformation from PMO, Manuel Baker and Paula Latapu from from Christ University in Pacific, attended the forum as guests of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia and the University of Queensland.

Curtis told Matangi Tonga, that the forum was important for Tonga and representatives from the Pacific.

“Participating in the forum and the associated networking are opportunities for us to share our priorities and objectives and grow our collaborations and networks, and it provided a platform to build senior leadership commitment to crucial initiatives”, he said.

Priorities identified for Tonga in the forum included capacity building, sharing information, and infrastructures.

“Capacity building through training, education and up-skilling some of our civil servants, NGOs, businesses and individuals at the University of Queensland with their centre for cyber security.”

The Forum consisted of targeted presentations, roundtables, and group discussions focused on telecommunications security and related areas, enabling delegates and attendees to identify future bodies of work, projects and investments required to support and strengthen Tonga/Pacific telecommunications security.

Curtis said Tonga should learn from what happened in Australia with the cyber breach/hack of Medibank and Optus data breach, and that these are problems that will soon get to us in Tonga.

The Pacific Telecommunication Security Export Forum was co-hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the University of Queensland.

Ministers, Pacific High Commissioners, DFAT staff, University of Queensland, business representatives from the Pacific, civil servants, and researchers attended the forum.