Pacific Cyber Round Up - February 2026
Written by Siosaia Vaipuna
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Pacific Cyber Roundup. This monthly digest is designed to keep you informed by aggregating relevant news and blogs on developments and issues around digital advancements, cybersecurity and online safety issues across the Pacific Island countries.
February 2026 presents a Pacific Islands region progressing critical maturity in cyber governance while confronting escalating online harms that test institutional capacity. This month saw Fiji's Cabinet endorse its National Cybersecurity Strategy 2026-2031, establishing comprehensive frameworks for cyber-aware communities, incident response capabilities, and workforce development. Papua New Guinea approved a USD 120 million submarine cable program enhancing regional connectivity, while AUT and Tonga National University launched a joint Computer Science Research Centre marking academic collaboration in cybersecurity research.
Yet institutional progress coincides with alarming trends. Fiji reports surging online extortion cases with weekly complaints from women targeted for intimate image exploitation, approximately 60% of cybercrime involving image-based abuse. New Zealand's Financial Markets Authority warns of high-risk scams targeting Pacific communities, while courts hand down deterrent sentences under Fiji's Online Safety Act demonstrating enforcement taking hold. Technology-facilitated threats are silencing Pacific journalists through coordinated harassment, and e-wallets cost Fiji up to USD 50 million in lost revenue highlighting digital governance gaps.
The contrast between strategic advancement and operational challenges defines February 2026: frameworks adopted, enforcement activated, infrastructure funded—yet online harms intensifying, revenue leakage unaddressed, journalists silenced. This month reveals that cyber governance maturity requires simultaneous excellence in strategy, enforcement, and adaptation to emerging threats. Pacific nations possess the institutional frameworks; February tests whether they can operationalise them at the speed and scale digital threats demand.
Find out more about this and other stories below.
Policy and Governance
Fiji Cabinet Endorses National Cybersecurity Strategy 2026-2031 (FBC News)
Fiji Establishes New Cybercrime Directorate to Boost Police Response (FBC News)
Deterrent Sentence Sought in Online Safety Act Case (FBC News)
Outdated Laws Hindering Justice for Online Crime Victims (FBC News)
E-Wallets Cost Fiji Up to USD 50 Million in Lost Revenue (Fiji News)
Samoa Minister Champions Digital Safety (Islands Business)
Misinformation Could Undermine Democracy Says Dialogue Fiji (Fiji Village)
Misinformation and Scams Threaten National Stability: Nadakuitavuki (FBC News, Fiji Sun, Fiji Village)
OPINION | Dark Web, Drug Waves, and the Pacific Pipeline (Fiji Times)
Call for youth protection in cyberspace (Fiji Times, Fiji Sun)
Infrastructure and Capacity Building
Sāmoa, Australia Sign New $2.3m Cyber and Regional Policing Deals (PMN, CyberDaily, foreignminister.gov.au, Samoa Global News, RNZ)
Papua New Guinea Approves USD 120 Million Submarine Cable Program (SubTel Forum)
ADB and PRIMA Sign Cable Deal to Boost Vanuatu Connectivity (ADB News)
AUT and Tonga National University Launch Computer Science Research Centre (AUT News)
Fiji Tech Summit 2026 Unites Pacific on AI and Cybersecurity (Fiji Sun)
Building Cyber Resilience in Fiji Through Research Partnership (Monash Business School)
Japan Launches Cyber Security Training for Pacific Islands (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, JAPAN)
OFC Tech Solutions and Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Partner to Modernise Papua New Guinea’s Digital Infrastructure (Business Advantage PNG)
Solomon Islands Empowers School Children to See, Hear, and Move Through Assistive Technology (WHO)
PNG DataCo Chief Executive on NTN, Oracle and the Possibilities of AI (Business Advantage PNG)
Fiji Airports Taps CG Tech for Major Transformation Project to Overhaul Manual Processes (CRN)
PNG Business Urged to Strengthen Cyber Risk Protection (Business Advantage PNG)
Public Service Media Help Anchor Reliable Information (DevPolicy, ABC International Development, Islands Business)
CEO Lauds Business for Strengthening IT, Cyber Security (The National)
Online Safety
About 60% of Cybercrime Involves Intimate Image Abuse in Fiji (Fiji Village)
Online Abuse Rises as Many Women Remain Unaware of Support (Fiji Village, FBC News)
Online Harm in Fiji is Recurring and Systematic Says Batiwale (FBC News)
Technology-Facilitated Threats Silencing Pacific Journalists (DevPolicy)
New Zealand FMA Warns of High-Risk Scam Targeting Communities in Tonga and New Zealand (MondoVisione)
Fijians Urged to Avoid SFCVibe Pyramid Scheme (FBC News)
Four Face Court Over Online Fraud Cases (FBC News, Fiji Sun)
Love In The Time of Scams: Online Romance Traps in PNG (The National)
Sextortion Threats Force Victims To Pay Thousands (FBC News)
Fiji Faces High Prevalence of Online Crimes (Xinhua)
Fiji Football Association warns against online misinformation (Fiji Times)
Rising Multifaceted Cybercrime a Growing Concern (FBC News)
Rethinking the Use of Social Media (The National)
This blog first appeared on Pacific Cyber Round Up at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pacific-cyber-roundup-february-2026-siosaia-vaipuna-syxgc/