In brief

CERT Tonga marked its tenth anniversary on July 15, 2026, celebrating a decade since becoming the first Pacific island nation to establish its own national computer emergency response team. Its creation challenged the assumption that a CERT requires a large workforce, substantial funding and complex infrastructure: the article argues that even a small team distributing vulnerability information and threat intelligence can improve national cybersecurity. Supported by then-Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, the initiative was established in just one month rather than the many months originally planned. Its success encouraged other Pacific countries to develop their own teams and was even cited in New Zealand as evidence of the need for a national CERT.

To commemorate the anniversary, CERT Tonga plans a Cyber Week, likely in October, featuring capture-the-flag exercises, training sessions, tabletop exercises and the country’s first national cyber drill. The drill is intended to improve coordination and ensure organizations know whom to contact during an incident, particularly after Tonga experienced two major ransomware attacks and other cases were reported late or not at all. Despite its limited size, CERT Tonga remains active in its national and regional community and participates in PaCSON, APCERT and the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, with FIRST membership as its next objective. Its broader lesson is that determination, community engagement and steady information sharing can be more important than scale when building an effective national incident-response capability.

Source: FIRST

‍

‍