BlackBerry Limited has announced that Malaysia has deployed BlackBerry AtHoc and BlackBerry SecuSUITE to secure communications during the ASEAN Summit events in 2025. This includes the 46th ASEAN Summit in May and the 47th Summit in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28.
The ASEAN Summits involve over 500 meetings with personnel from various government agencies, coordinated by Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following a successful deployment at the 46th Summit, SILA expanded its use of BlackBerry’s platform to enhance command and control operations. Protecting mobile communications is crucial as advanced signal intelligence capabilities become more accessible to malicious actors.
BlackBerry AtHoc offers secure emergency notifications and real-time coordination, while BlackBerry SecuSUITE provides NATO-certified secure voice and messaging to safeguard sensitive communications from interception.
His Excellency Raja Saifful Ridzuwan Raja Kamaruddin, Head of SILA, said: “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. With BlackBerry, we found an encrypted, open communications platform that protects sensitive information while improving coordination.”
John Giamatteo, CEO of BlackBerry, added: “As ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia is setting a new standard for sovereign secure communications at scale. 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.”
During the 46th Summit, 100 liaison officers (LOs) utilized BlackBerry AtHoc to send secure alerts based on location and manage coordination. For the upcoming 47th Summit, the number of LOs will increase to 150, all using AtHoc and SecuSUITE on iOS and standard Android devices. This setup allows LOs to communicate securely with visiting groups and foreign teams, cutting down on the number of devices needed while ensuring secure voice calls and messaging from anywhere.
BlackBerry AtHoc also supports mobile command-and-control, helping officials keep track of activities, quickly respond to weather or security issues, and coordinate smoothly with agencies like the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) using secure and validated information.
“Five minutes can mean 50 missed messages,” H.E. Raja Saifful added. “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.”
The technology used is similar to what was employed during the 2018 and 2025 G7 Summits and Ministerial Meetings. The Government of Canada’s Summits Management Office, through Global Affairs Canada, used BlackBerry AtHoc for secure communication between government departments, establishing a standard for collaboration and resilience.