Google Cloud collaborates with NCSA to bolster Thailand’s cybersecurity

NCSA and Google Cloud will engage in threat intelligence sharing and incident response capability building to address evolving cyber threats and boost online safety for Thai citizens and residents.

Google Cloud has announced a strategic collaboration with Thailand’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) to bolster cyber resilience in the country’s digital landscape. The collaboration comes at a perfect time as Thailand continues to experience one of the highest number of cyberattacks in the region.

The NCSA and Google Cloud collaboration complements ongoing efforts by the Royal Thai Government and Google to enhance online safety for mobile users in Thailand. It also builds on the government and Google’s ongoing collaboration to strengthen Thailand’s digital competitiveness and accelerate AI innovation.

In 2024, Google had also partnered with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to enable its anti-scam feature within Google Play Protect. Since then, more than 6.6 million high-risk app installation attempts to date have been blocked. In addition, Google has unveiled enhanced mobile security measures to further protect Thais against social engineering tactics employed by cybercriminals.

According to Prasert Jantararuangtong, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, strengthening cybersecurity and combating online scams are paramount and urgent priorities for the government, especially as organizations and individuals increasingly embrace digital innovation.

“We commend Google for its proactive and continuous efforts in collaborating with us to safeguard citizens online through its cyber literacy programs and implementation of enhanced anti-scam features in Google Play Protect on Android devices. We’re delighted to be deepening our partnership with Google. This collaboration will involve NCSA joining forces with Google Cloud, leveraging its industry-leading security operations expertise to develop cutting-edge, national-level solutions that enhance our country’s cyber resilience,” said Jantararuangtong.

For Amorn Chomchoey, Secretary General, NCSA , the partnership with Google Cloud will be a significant force multiplier.

“Best-in-class capabilities like Google Cloud Cybershield will augment our existing solutions while Mandiant will serve as an extension of our expert teams. Collectively, this will reinforce our capacity to stay ahead of future cyber threats and maintain a safe digital space for all Thais,” said Chomchoey.

NCSA plans to deploy Google Cloud Cybershield, which combines automation, analytics, threat intelligence, and AI, for centralized monitoring of security events across public sector entities. This will enable the Thailand Computer Emergency Response Team (ThaiCERT), NCSA’s national cyber defense center, to undertake a more coordinated and streamlined response to potential cyber threats targeting government agencies and critical national infrastructure.

Specifically, the collaboration will see Google Cloud and NCSA engage in threat intelligence sharing to support government-wide cyber defense operations. This includes NCSA being provided with access to Google Threat Intelligence, which includes Mandiant’s frontline threat intelligence and VirusTotal’s threat database.

Apart from that, Mandiant consultants will provide specialized hands-on training in areas like incident response, digital forensics, and malware analysis to qualified information security professionals from public sector entities selected by NCSA. NCSA and Google Cloud also plan to integrate Google Cloud Web Risk into government workflows to protect Thai citizens and residents from online scam and phishing websites.

With Web Risk APIs, the Thai government will have access to real-time threat intelligence on sites that host malware or other types of unsafe web resources. Web Risk utilizes the same advanced AI models that power Google Safe Browsing which evaluates more than 10 billion URLs and files daily to identify those that violate Safe Browsing policies, adding them to a threat intelligence repository and blocklist that protects more than five billion devices within minutes.

“We look forward to partnering deeply with MDES and NCSA to deliver scalable, next-generation cybersecurity solutions. By bringing together Mandiant’s frontline threat intelligence and expertise with Google Cloud’s AI advancements for security, we’ll continue to help governments around the world supercharge security operations and respond holistically to keep their citizens and critical assets safe,” commented Annop Siritikul, Country Director, Thailand, Google Cloud.

Apart from AI in cybersecurity, Google Cloud also announced a strategic collaboration with the Stock Exchange of Thailand last week to develop and deploy an Automated Thai Listed Company AI-Info System. The GenAI-powered search solution will have advanced information processing and retrieval capabilities to boost the operational effectiveness of SET’s workforce and network of listed companies.