COMMENT | Malaysia's blueprint to block cyber attacks

COMMENT | Malaysia has witnessed a surge in high-profile cyber attacks over the past year.

From Malaysian insurance companies grappling with global data theft to AirAsia’s encounter with a ransomware attack affecting millions of passengers, and iPay88, a payment gateway system facing a breach in online card data transactions, the country has not been immune to cyber threats.

Telekom Malaysia also faced a significant data breach involving its customers’ personal information. These incidents underscore the pressing need for robust cybersecurity measures in the country.

Malaysia recorded over 4,000 cyber threats in 2022. As of October 2023, nearly 3,000 cyber incidents were reported to the National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) under the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa), a national agency dealing with cybersecurity-related matters.

Malaysia is working towards setting up a national cybersecurity commission and amending laws on protecting personal data to counter scammers.

It’s hoped the creation of...