The game has changed for cybersecurity, especially here in APAC. By mid-2025, we're seeing AI-driven phishing scams and deepfakes starting to scale, and they’re forcing us to rethink how we build our digital defenses. Our own Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) shows these new attack vectors, especially those going after passwords, are on the rise. And yes, passwords are still a surprisingly common way hackers get in.

But it’s not just about attacks from the outside. We're also seeing new risks from within. The DBIR highlights that around 15% of employees are using new AI tools, often with their personal accounts, not the company-secured ones. It's usually not on purpose, but ungoverned AI usage can lead to company data leaking out. Add to that the fact that so many of us use our own phones and laptops for work – the whole BYOD scene. If those personal devices get infected and have company logins, and IT hasn't properly secured them, it's like leaving a side door wide open.

So, when you’ve got smarter threats coming from all angles – outside hackers, internal slip-ups, or even our personal devices – the old way of just guarding the main 'front door' of the company network just doesn’t cut it anymore. That’s why moving to a 'Zero Trust' way of thinking is so vital. It’s basically an 'always check, never just assume' approach. We constantly verify who and what is trying to get to company information, making sure that data stays safe no matter where people are working from,

It’s definitely a balancing act for global companies in APAC right now. The new regulations are important for data privacy and security, but businesses also need to stay quick on their feet, scale up, and use the best of what multiple clouds offer. So how do you square that circle?

The answer really comes down to having a smart and flexible game plan for your policies. Think of it less as a rigid framework and more as a responsive system. This means setting up policies so they can adapt as these local regulations change, ensuring you’re always meeting your privacy and security duties without tying your operations in knots.

This responsive approach lets you make good calls on where your data should live, move it safely when you need to (and when it’s allowed, of course), and really use all the security tools different cloud providers have. It also means you can set up systems to run efficiently, save costs, and still be compliant. Essentially, with a flexible policy framework, companies can confidently use a multi-cloud strategy, keep their data safe, and stay on the right side of the law, even as things keep changing across APAC.

Private 5G is genuinely a game-changer for many industries here in APAC, especially when it comes to needing super-fast and super-secure connections. Imagine having your own dedicated 5G network, right on your site. That’s what private 5G offers. Because it’s localized, the data doesn’t have to travel far, so you get incredibly quick response times – we’re talking near-instantaneous – which is crucial for anything happening in real-time. Plus, because it’s separate from public networks, you get much tighter security and control over who and what accesses your systems.

We’re seeing some amazing things happen because of this:

What’s really helping this take off in APAC are the partnerships forming between governments and private companies. These collaborations are making it easier to get the necessary airwaves (spectrum), helping fund pilot projects to test out new ideas, and building up local tech expertise. It helps businesses feel more confident investing and ensures these cool new technologies fit with what each country is trying to achieve digitally. Often, companies will use a mix – their own private 5G for the really critical stuff on-site, and the public 5G network for everything else.

Think about all the buzz around Generative AI, or GenAI. For businesses to really get the most out of it – for those super-fast decisions, personalized experiences, or instant analysis – the AI needs to work right where the action is happening. That could be on a factory floor, in a shop, or even on the device in your hand, not miles away in a data center. This 'AI at the edge' idea needs a whole new kind of setup: powerful, incredibly quick, and super secure.

That’s exactly what Verizon AI Connect is designed for. We’re essentially transforming our strong existing network – our 5G, our fiber cables, even our physical buildings – into a smart, flexible system that can handle these AI tasks locally. This means bringing serious computing horsepower, especially those powerful graphics chips (GPUs), much closer to where businesses actually need it. It's all tuned for the heavy lifting and instant responses of today's advanced AI demands.

We’re teaming up with other top tech companies who bring specialized tools and know-how right into our local network spots. So, working with NVIDIA and Vultr, for example, makes those crucial AI-powering GPUs and cloud services available locally, making it easier for businesses to use high-performance AI. Collaborations with giants like Meta and Google Cloud also help us build out and fine-tune this whole system. It's all about creating a complete support system so companies can confidently use the latest AI right where it makes the biggest difference for them.

We believe that using AI powerfully also means using it responsibly. That’s the whole idea behind our Global AI Centre of Excellence (CoE). It’s not just about handing over the latest AI tech; it’s about guiding companies on how to use it in a way that’s ethical, fair, and safe. What makes our CoE unique is that we bring together experts from IT, legal, finance, and risk – all under one roof. We’ve learned a lot from using AI ourselves over the last ten years, both its amazing power and how important it is to have strong guiding principles.

So, what does this mean for businesses we work with? Instead of just giving them AI tools, we actually help them build their own robust plans for AI governance. We sit down with them and figure out potential tricky spots – ethical questions, legal worries, financial risks, or operational headaches that could come with their specific AI projects. Our legal, finance, and risk folks provide real, practical insights here. We then help them weave responsible AI principles – things like fairness, being open about how AI works (transparency), and being accountable for its outcomes – right into how they build and use AI. This also means thinking about diverse perspectives to avoid bias, making AI accessible to everyone, and keeping humans in the loop so AI helps people, not just replaces them.

Beyond the tech, we also help companies tackle the 'people' side of AI. We share what works for building employee trust and getting everyone ready for AI, like being open about changes and offering good training. We also give them a heads-up on important issues like ensuring AI-generated content is accurate and used ethically. By working with policymakers and others in the industry, and using all the different skills within our CoE, we want to give companies the confidence and the know-how to innovate with AI responsibly, so it truly benefits their customers, their employees, and society as a whole.