The escalating frequency of cyber operations in South Asia demonstrates a severe deficit in  infrastructure defense. In March 2026, an advanced threat group known as "SloppyLemming"  successfully breached the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, Pakistani telecommunications  infrastructure, and Sri Lankan government networks (Antoniuk 2026). This pattern of targeting  essential civilian services is supported by prior data. In May 2025, the Power Grid Corporation of  India experienced a major infrastructure breach, followed by targeted ransomware campaigns that  rendered hospital servers in Delhi inoperable (Thakker 2026). 

South Asia is currently undergoing rapid digital transformation, driven by national frameworks  such as "Digital India" and "Smart Bangladesh 2041." However, this developmental trajectory  contains a critical structural flaw: the digitization of essential sectors—including finance,  healthcare, and energy—is vastly outpacing the implementation of corresponding cybersecurity  frameworks. This disparity creates a highly asymmetric threat landscape. Non-state actors or small,  well-equipped syndicates can now inflict levels of national disruption previously limited to  conventional military strikes. To safeguard civilian infrastructure and prevent digital incursions  from escalating into physical conflicts, South Asian states must urgently formalize a Regional  Cyber Accord. 

Compounding this vulnerability is the region's volatile geopolitical environment. South Asian  states frequently operate within the "grey zone"—conducting hostile operations that remain  purposefully below the threshold of declared warfare. Cyber operations are increasingly the  primary instrument for these tactics due to their low cost, high impact, and plausible deniability.  Yet, this strategy carries severe risks of miscalculation. If a state-aligned actor inadvertently  disables a critical civilian asset, such as a medical network or energy grid, during heightened  political tensions, the targeted state may interpret the disruption as a kinetic attack. In a region  comprising nuclear-armed powers, such inadvertent escalation poses an immediate threat to global strategic stability. 

At present, there are no established regional protocols to mitigate this risk. Institutional integration  in South Asia remains fundamentally weak, with bodies like the South Asian Association for  Regional Cooperation (SAARC) persistently paralyzed by bilateral political deadlocks.  Consequently, states are attempting to manage a transnational threat through isolated, unilateral  defense postures. This fragmented strategy is inherently unsustainable. Cyber threats bypass  physical borders, necessitating a defense architecture that does the same. A pragmatic, cohesive  regional policy is essential to navigate the digital security challenges of the coming decade. 

The foundational component of this policy must be a comprehensive South Asian Cyber Accord.  This multilateral treaty would explicitly codify civilian critical infrastructure—specifically  medical facilities, water management systems, and energy distribution networks—as prohibited  targets for state-sponsored digital interference. Establishing this unambiguous regional "red line"  will create a crucial operational buffer to prevent accidental military escalation. 

Furthermore, the accord must mandate the creation of an apolitical Cyber Threat Intelligence  Sharing Hub. Currently, transnational ransomware syndicates and non-state actors capitalize on  the informational silos existing between South Asian security agencies. A centralized, technical  hub would enable experts across Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and neighboring states to  exchange real-time intelligence regarding malware signatures, network vulnerabilities, and threat  vectors (Fortinet 2026). For instance, if an advanced persistent threat targets an Indian technology  firm, the hub would facilitate immediate alerts allowing networks in Nepal and the Maldives to  implement defensive patches. Reframing cybercrime from a classified state secret to a mutual  regional hazard is critical to neutralizing these syndicates. 

Skeptics will invariably highlight the historical mistrust between South Asian administrations as a  barrier to intelligence sharing. While this assessment is accurate, it can be bypassed by  restructuring the intelligence apparatus. The proposed hub must operate autonomously from  traditional defense or political ministries. By utilizing multilateral financial institutions, such as  the Asian Development Bank, to sponsor and moderate the facility, participating states can ensure  that cross-border cooperation remains strictly technical, neutral, and exclusively dedicated to  civilian defense. 

So, accelerating digital infrastructure without proportional defensive capabilities constitutes a  severe strategic liability. A successful cyber intrusion extends far beyond data theft; it can  incapacitate public utilities, suspend emergency responses, and paralyze economic output. As  South Asia advances its digital integration, cybersecurity must transition from a secondary concern  to a primary strategic directive. Implementing a Regional Cyber Accord transcends basic  technology policy; it represents a foundational prerequisite for sustained regional stability and  security in the twenty-first century. 

Acknowledgement

The Institute for Youth in Policy would like to acknowledge Kayleen Kim for editing this op-ed.

References 

Antoniuk, Daryna. 2026. ‘Alleged India-Linked Espionage Campaign Targeted Pakistan,  Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’. The Record, 2026. https://therecord.media/india-pakistan-cyber campaign-apt. 

Fortinet. 2026. ‘Recent Cyber Attacks: Major Incidents & Key Trends’. Fortinet Resources. https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/recent-cyber-attacks. 

Thakker, Jay. 2026. ‘Top 10 Major Cyber Attacks in India’. Eventus Security. https://eventussecurity.com/cybersecurity/india/cyber-attacks/.