FIJI is facing a rapidly evolving cybersecurity threat landscape, with cybercriminals increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to launch attacks at greater speed and scale, a regional cybersecurity expert has warned.
Speaking at the Annual Fiji CyberSec Conference at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Chillisoft Group Chief Executive Officer Alex Teh said the Pacific had become a “cyber frontline”, with Fiji increasingly exposed as internet connectivity and digital reliance grow.
Teh said the conference attracted more than 300 registrations, with about 200 people attending, reflecting growing interest in cybersecurity across Fiji.
He said Interpol had identified Fiji as a prime target for Redline malware, a malware-as-a-service tool used to steal information including cryptocurrency wallet details, personal information and sensitive documents.
Teh said the threat was no longer limited to traditional hacking methods, with cybercriminals increasingly using AI-generated phishing, deepfakes and other techniques to manipulate users and gain access to organisations.
He said identity protection had become a critical area of cybersecurity, with attackers increasingly seeking to obtain legitimate credentials rather than breaking through technical defences.
“Identity theft is the new frontier,” Teh said.
He urged organisations to treat multi-factor authentication as a minimum-security measure and to regularly review the privileges given to users, machines and AI systems.
Teh also warned organisations about the risks associated with the growing use of AI, particularly where employees use public or unsanctioned AI platforms and upload confidential information.
“AI is good but unsecure AI is bad,” he said.
He said organisations needed systems and policies to control and manage the use of AI while allowing staff to benefit from the technology securely.
The growing use of AI by cybercriminals was also changing the speed of attacks, he said, with attackers now able to combine multiple AI techniques within a single attack sequence.
Teh said the cybersecurity sector would increasingly need to use AI to defend against AI-powered threats, while strengthening human expertise and security controls.
However, he said Fiji had an opportunity to build a stronger cybersecurity ecosystem and could play a regional leadership role.
Teh highlighted the establishment of Fiji’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the country’s growing pool of information technology graduates as important assets.
He said Fiji was producing about 1000 IT graduates annually, including around 700 from Fiji National University, providing a potential workforce for the country’s expanding cybersecurity needs.
“We’re actually producing excellent graduates,” Teh said, urging greater opportunities for young professionals to build cybersecurity careers in Fiji.
He also pointed to growing support from the Fijian Government, Australia, the United States and the United Nations as an opportunity to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities across the Pacific.
Teh said partnerships between governments, businesses, universities and international cybersecurity organisations would be critical to developing the skills, infrastructure and response systems needed to protect the region.
The conference brought together cybersecurity specialists from Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, with workshops and panel discussions focused on emerging threats and practical measures to strengthen cyber resilience.
Teh said the growth of the conference — from about 40 participants at its early events to hundreds today — reflected the increasing importance of cybersecurity to Fiji and the wider Pacific.
He said the region could no longer treat cybersecurity as solely an information technology issue, but as a national and regional resilience priority.
