KUALA LUMPUR – As world leaders converge on Kuala Lumpur this weekend for the 47th ASEAN Summit, Malaysia has reinforced its communications infrastructure by deploying BlackBerry’s military-grade security platform to protect high-stakes diplomatic coordination from espionage and cyber threats.
The move signals a growing urgency among governments to safeguard sovereign communications amid rising geopolitical, climate, and cyber risks. For Malaysia, it marks a critical step in modernising its mobile command and control capabilities for one of the region’s most complex diplomatic events.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the ASEAN Main Logistics Secretariat (SILA), has expanded its use of BlackBerry AtHoc and BlackBerry SecuSUITE. This follows a successful deployment during the 46th ASEAN Summit in May and scales up protection for the current summit, which runs from October 26 to 28.
The ASEAN Summits involve more than 500 meetings and thousands of personnel from government agencies, ASEAN member states, and global partners.
“Around 80% of our inter-agency communications are secured — and some are highly confidential and directly tied to the safety of heads of state and officials,” said His Excellency Raja Saifful Ridzuwan Raja Kamaruddin, Head of SILA.
“With BlackBerry, we found an encrypted, open communications platform that protects sensitive information while improving coordination.”
BlackBerry AtHoc is a critical event management platform that provides secure notifications and real-time coordination across multiple agencies. Its counterpart, BlackBerry SecuSUITE, is a NATO-certified solution that offers military-grade encryption for voice and messaging, shielding sensitive conversations from interception.
The deployment will be significantly larger for the 47th Summit, with 150 liaison officers equipped with the technology on their iOS and Android devices — an increase from 100 officers at the previous summit. This enables secure, end-to-end encrypted communication with visiting delegations without the need for additional hardware.
“As ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia is setting a new standard for sovereign secure communications at scale,” said John Giamatteo, CEO of BlackBerry.
“BlackBerry is honoured to support SILA and the Government of Malaysia with advanced, military-grade solutions that safeguard people, protect sensitive conversations, and keep complex operations moving in real time.”
This enhancement of national security infrastructure aligns with Malaysia’s broader strategy to build cyber resilience through local capacity building.
The joint MCMC-BlackBerry Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE), launched in March 2024, is central to this effort, offering world-class training to upskill Malaysia’s cyber workforce.
The CCoE provides a range of globally recognised certifications and courses to tackle the nation’s cybersecurity skills gap and foster a new generation of cyber defenders.
Raja Saifful highlighted the operational impact of the technology, noting how it streamlines vital communications.
“Five minutes can mean 50 missed messages,” he said.
“BlackBerry AtHoc streamlines how we communicate across agencies, while SecuSUITE encrypts voice instructions to prevent eavesdropping and leaks.
“For the 47th ASEAN Summit, we are expanding both solutions to deliver a safe, seamless, and highly coordinated event,” he concluded. – October 22, 2025
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