The recent drone strikes on Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain provide valuable lessons for the Asia-Pacific region on how to prepare for cyberattacks on AI infrastructure. The attacks, which were initiated by Israel and the US, highlight the need for greater cooperation and vigilance among nations in the face of emerging threats. As the region continues to rely on AI technologies, it is essential to learn from the mistakes of others and take proactive steps to protect against similar attacks.

On March 1, after Israel and the United States initiated attacks against Iran, Amazon Web Services reported drone strikes against data centre facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The strikes caused structural damage to the company’s infrastructure, impairing cloud services for those countries. Iran warned that US tech companies with Israeli links, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, Nvidia and Oracle, were on Tehran’s list of “legitimate targets” for countermeasures. Strikes on...