KUALA LUMPUR: The government is placing significant emphasis on cyber security threats, especially related to information leakage, cybercrime, technological vulnerabilities, and hacktivism.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said these threats have undermined the well-being of individuals, and the stability of the country’s critical infrastructure and businesses, destroyed the reputation of organisations, and caused financial losses, indirectly impacting the economy and the wellbeing of the country and the people.
He said that cyber criminals constantly seek to exploit any weaknesses in systems, applications, or technology to achieve their agenda and gain profits.
As of October 2023, he said a total of 2,674 cyber incidents had been reported to the National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) under the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA).
“Activities such as Ransomware and Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) pose serious threats, especially from parties that may have geopolitical agendas,” he said.
Anwar made these remarks in his speech, which was read out by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, at the launch of the Capacity Development Programme and Public Dialogue on Cybersecurity Bill at the International Institute of Islamic Civilisation and Malay World here today.
Anwar said the widespread use of devices and digital technology has heightened the risk of dynamic and complex cyber attacks, such as phishing and Distribution of Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
“On a global scale, in 2021, the European Commission reported a total of 9.75 million DDoS attacks worldwide.
“Not only that, in every 11 seconds, an organisation faces a Ransomware attack. This reflects the current and escalating challenges of cyber threats,” he said.
The Prime Minister said research by the European Commission reveals that 57 per cent of small and medium-scale enterprises would go out of business when facing a cyber attack, while in Germany, the cost related to cyber attacks on businesses in 2020 was estimated at 220 billion euros.
He said that the conflict in Ukraine proves the effectiveness of cyber attacks in achieving military objectives, and the cyber domain has become a powerful battleground, especially in the current era of hybrid warfare.
Anwar said that to enhance the management of national cyber security, the government has also launched the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS) 2020-2024, which outlines comprehensively five main pillars with 12 strategies and 35 action plans to be implemented, aiming to create a safe, trustworthy, and resilient cyber environment while promoting economic prosperity and improving the well-being of the people.
“This strategy also involves the implementation of various cyber security initiatives, including the formulation of the Cybersecurity Bill, and the development of capacity and capabilities of skilled professionals in the cybersecurity field, as well as the strengthening of public-private cooperation and international relations,” he said.
Apart from that, the Prime Minister also emphasised the government’s high commitment to the use of information and communication technology as a river for national development.
In propelling the country towards digital economic progress, he said the main challenge that needs to be faced is cyber crimes and cyber security threats.
“The cyber space is a new domain for the security and geopolitics of the country. State and non-state actors are using various mechanisms to undermine national security without the need for physical attacks, only through cyber attacks,” he added. – Bernama
