MALAYSIA MUST BOLSTER CYBER SECURITY WITH LOCAL EXPERTISE TO SAFEGUARD E-SOVEREIGNTY

By R.Vikneswaran and Abdul Rahman Fahmi Abdul Aziz

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- The nation's cyber security efforts should ideally be managed by local experts, to reduce dependence on foreign expertise and solutions, thereby strengthening Malaysia’s digital sovereignty (e-sovereignty).

CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent call for local cybersecurity experts to collaborate with the government, underscores the urgent need for a robust and collaborative cyber security ecosystem, to protect Malaysia’s digital infrastructure.

“The private sector can contribute to building a strong cyber ecosystem by continuously developing new solutions, adhering to local legislations and self-regulating by adopting relevant policies and standards, both local and international. They can engage in government-led initiatives, including CSM and National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA),” he told Bernama. 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister's senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah said that Anwar, when chairing the National Cyber Security meeting, urged local cyber security experts to collaborate with the government, to enhance the ecosystem to face cyber security challenges.

Amirudin said CSM is fostering collaboration between local experts and the government, through its CyberSecurity Collaboration Programme (CCP), which brings together more than 100 local cyber security industry players on a common platform.

He said that CCP is a key initiative, aimed at strengthening collaboration among cyber security professionals, industries, and academia, by providing a platform for industry engagement, research partnerships, threat intelligence sharing, and skill development.

Amirudin added that both NACSA and CSM play crucial roles in the national cyber security ecosystem, with NACSA serving as the lead agency responsible for policy, strategy, legislation, and enforcement, while CSM functions as the technical agency, delivering cyber security services with strong support from the Digital Ministry.

He also stressed the urgent need for stronger cyber security defences, a proactive security strategy, and a robust national framework to safeguard the country’s digital landscape against emerging threats.

While the declining trend in cyber security incidents between 2023 and 2024 is encouraging, he noted that the severity and financial impact of attacks have risen significantly, as cybercriminals adopt more sophisticated tactics, including AI-driven attacks, deepfakes, and advanced ransomware.

Amirudin warned that the increasing value of data, and the growing complexity of digital infrastructure, mean that even a single cyberattack could result in millions in financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.

Citing statistics from Cyber999 for 2024, Amirudin said that fraud remained the most reported cyber security incident last year, accounting for 4,219 cases - approximately 67.9 per cent of the 6,209 total incidents. This was followed by content-related breaches (578 cases) and malicious code incidents, including malware and ransomware attacks (427 cases). (These figures represent cases reported to CSM only.)

Amirudin said the overall downtrend in cyber security incidents in 2024 was largely driven by increased awareness and preparedness, among both organisations and individuals, as well as stronger cyber security measures - such as investments in next-generation firewalls and AI-driven threat detection systems.

He also attributed the decline to enhanced collaboration and intelligence sharing between the public and private sectors, as well as international partnerships, and stricter regulatory compliance - bolstered by the enforcement of key legislation such as the Cyber Security Act 2024, the Personal Data Protection Act 2024, the Data Sharing Act 2024, and the Online Safety Act 2024.

Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Cybersecurity Research Group (CyReg) head Dr Mohd Izuan Hafez Ninggal highlighted a significant expertise gap in the cyber security sector, emphasising that industry players can support the government in capacity-building efforts.

In October 2023, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said that Malaysia faced a shortfall of approximately 12,000 cyber security experts across various fields, as the country then had only 15,000 experts to combat the growing threat of cyber attacks.

The senior lecturer at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology emphasized that cybersecurity relies on three key pillars - people, processes, and technology. Investing solely in technology is ineffective if there is still a shortage of skilled professionals and insufficient public awareness.

Mohd Izuan noted that with phishing, data breaches, and social engineering emerging as major threats in Malaysia, it is crucial for the government to gather input from all stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, and telecommunications companies. Establishing a cyber security benchmark, and comparing it with countries like Singapore, would help strengthen national resilience.

Social engineering refers to psychological manipulation to deceive individuals into making security mistakes or divulging sensitive information for fraudulent purposes.

“With more young children using electronic devices, they are increasingly vulnerable to cyberbullying, online fraud, and grooming, due to their inexperience and lack of awareness. This highlights the need for a dedicated cyber security syllabus in schools.

“For online scams, platforms like Shopee employ a buffer system, where payments are only released once buyers confirm receipt, effectively reducing fraud. This proven method could be expanded beyond e-commerce to all online transactions, including purchases via Facebook, or even land deals, as a broader strategy to combat scams,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chasseur group executive director Munira Mustaffa highlighted that beyond technical aspects, expertise and skill development are equally crucial to creating a more comprehensive and robust cyber security ecosystem.

“We must understand the relationship between people and cyber security, as well as how it is governed. Cyber space cannot be treated as separate from real life, because trade, commerce, entertainment, and even education are deeply integrated into it,” said the counterterrorism expert and intelligence researcher.

-- BERNAMA