PETALING JAYA: The total value of online scams reported from 2021 until April 2024 is about RM3.81 billion, involving more than 95,800 people in Malaysia, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, adding that numbers could be higher due to unreported cases.
“Cases related to phishing, fraud and scam have risen tremendously, as criminals take advantage of the shift towards remote work and causing this issue to become a post-pandemic problem experienced by most countries,” he said at the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoU) between Axiata, Cybersecurity Malaysia and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation today.
Gobind said his ministry plans to formulate a policy on quantum technology to strengthen personal data protection. The ministry will also look at data holistically to improve cyberinfrastructure’s resilience.
“We will come up with something, hopefully by the end of this year, and currently, works are in progress. With the Cybersecurity Act and the amendments to the Personal Data Protection Bill tabled, this shows the ministry’s commitment towards protecting digital platforms in Malaysia.”
All organisations must appoint a data protection officer following the recent amendments to the Personal Data Protection Bill, Gobind said, “The data protection officer is for organisations to oversee compliance with data protection laws, including data breach notifications, data user obligations and the secure transfer of personal data abroad.”
Axiata signed separate MoU with CyberSecurity Malaysia and MDEC to jointly cooperate on cybersecurity and enhance the nation’s digital resilience.
Gobind witnessed the signing of the MoU by Axiata group CEO Vivek Sood, Cybersecurity Malaysia CEO Datuk Amirudin Abdul Wahab and MDEC CEO Mahadhir Aziz at the Axiata Cyber Fusion Centre.
Axiata group said the three parties agreed to promote digital transformation, innovation in cybersecurity and resource sharing to identify cyber threats and collaborate to promote the development of international norms and standards in cybersecurity.
All three parties noted that the areas of cybersecurity collaboration aimed to build a strong, secure, and resilient digital tech ecosystem in advancing Malaysia’s digital aspiration. This will cover joint consultations and cyber risk assessments, capacity building, threat intelligence, commercialisation support, networking exposure, talent development, and digital talent incubation.
