The Pacific Cyber Security Operational Network (PaCSON) Annual General Meeting (AGM) brought together cybersecurity practitioners, government officials, technical experts and international partners from across the Pacific in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 27-29 July, as part of the wider Pacific Cyber Week 2026 program.
Hosted by the Government of Papua New Guinea through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA), the AGM formed a key component of a broader regional program that included the Digital Transformation Summit, Pacific Cyber Week activities and the Pacific ICT Ministers Meeting. Together, these events highlighted the growing importance of trusted digital development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and regional cooperation across the Blue Pacific.
The AGM provided a valuable opportunity for members, partners and friends of the PaCSON community to strengthen relationships, share cyber threat information, exchange expertise and identify practical ways to enhance cyber resilience throughout the region. Bringing together so many elements alongside the Pacific Island Forum ICT Ministers Meeting was a critical step in further aligning PaCSON to the broader ICT and cyber regional architecture.
Pacific Leaders Champion a Shared Digital Future
Opening Pacific Cyber Week and the Digital Transformation Summit, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Hon. James Marape called on Pacific nations to work together to ensure digital transformation delivers opportunities while safeguarding national and regional security.
Prime Minister Marape's remarks reflect many of the priorities discussed throughout the PaCSON AGM, where members focused on strengthening cyber resilience and improving operational cooperation across the region.
During the AGM Opening Ceremony, Minister for Information and Communications Technology Hon. Robert Naguri MP reinforced the importance of secure and inclusive digital development.
"As we accelerate technologies such as artificial intelligence, trust must be at the centre of our approach," Minister Naguri said.
"Digital transformation depends on resilient and accessible digital infrastructure so that every province and district can participate in the digital economy."
Remarks by Minister Naguri set a tone for the AGM that deepened participant engagement, and further contributed to the trusted environment that has underpinned PaCSON since 2017.
Papua New Guinea as Outgoing Chair
The AGM marked the conclusion of Papua New Guinea's term as PaCSON Chair for 2025/2026.
Throughout the year, PNG worked closely with the Executive Committee, Secretariat and member countries to support information sharing, strengthen operational relationships and advance cybersecurity capability across the region.
During the closing session, Papua New Guinea formally handed leadership responsibilities to the incoming Chair, concluding a successful term that coincided with one of the most significant gatherings of Pacific cyber and digital leaders ever held in the region.
During the 2026/27 term, the PaCSON Executive Committee will be represented by:
Naoero as Chair
Vanuatu as Deputy Chair
Samoa as Incoming Chair
Members thanked PNG for its leadership, commitment and hospitality, recognising the considerable effort invested in hosting both the AGM and the broader Pacific Cyber Week program.
Record Regional Participation
The 2026 AGM took place against the backdrop of strong regional engagement, with governments, industry representatives, development partners and technical experts gathering in Port Moresby to discuss the future of digital development in the Pacific.
The convergence of Pacific Cyber Week, the Digital Transformation Summit, the ICT ministers meeting, and related engagements created new opportunities for collaboration among policymakers, cybersecurity practitioners, and digital transformation leaders. Immediately following the AGM, the addition of the 2026 Subregional CyberDrill for Pacific for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) occurred on 30-31 July and provided the PaCSON participants with further opportunity to enhance communication and incident response capabilities. Building on the event's goal, the CyberDrill aimed to strengthen regional collaboration in mitigating cyber threats.
Across the fortnight’s events, delegates explored topics including cyber resilience, digital public infrastructure, online safety, artificial intelligence, cybercrime and trusted technology while considering how these issues intersect with the Pacific's broader development priorities.
Above all, the events in PNG reinforced the importance of Pacific-led approaches to digital development and highlighted the value of regional cooperation in building secure, resilient and inclusive digital ecosystems. The AGM complemented these efforts through Working Group meetings and future planning discussions.
Capture the Flag Cyber Challenge
A key highlight of the AGM was the annual Capture the Flag (CTF) cyber challenge, which brought participants together in mixed regional teams to test and strengthen their technical cybersecurity skills. A particularly special highlight was the opportunity to recognise 10 years of operation for CERT Tonga. Here, PaCSON was able to celebrate the leadership and commitment demonstrated by Tonga’s cyber professionals over the past decade, conduct that underpins the aims of the challenge.
Competitors worked through a series of practical challenges involving cyber defence, incident response, digital investigation and problem solving. The challenge encouraged collaboration between countries and organizations while providing valuable hands-on learning opportunities.
The event continues to be one of the most popular components of the AGM, showcasing the growing technical capability of cybersecurity professionals across the Pacific and reinforcing PaCSON's commitment to practical capacity building.
Looking Forward
The 2026 AGM demonstrated the growing maturity and influence of the Pacific cybersecurity community. Attendance was the highest ever, with 76 registered delegates!
Being again able to host the AGM alongside Pacific Cyber Week and ICT Ministers forum is further opportunity to showcase how cybersecurity is increasingly intertwined with digital transformation, economic growth, and regional development.
The PaCSON community now looks forward to continuing this work under the leadership of the new Executive Committee and building on the outcomes achieved in Port Moresby.
Reflections from Members
Grace from the Office of National Security, Republic of the Marshall Islands:
“For the Marshall Islands, one of PaCSON’s greatest strengths is the community it creates—connecting us directly with cyber practitioners and partners across the Pacific who understand the challenges our region faces. The AGM and Pacific Cyber Week strengthened those relationships and gave us practical ideas and connections that we can bring home as RMI continues building its national cybersecurity capacity.”
Save from Fiji CERT:
‘The PaCSON 2026 AGM and Pacific Cyber Week were great opportunities to connect with cyber security professionals from across the Pacific, exchange experiences, and learn from one another.’ The sessions and discussions provided valuable insights that I can apply to strengthen cyber security efforts within my team and organization.
On behalf of the PaCSON Community, the event organisers, and all those who attended the events in PNG, thank you for your amazing contributions throughout the week.
