KUALA LUMPUR: Global cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks has stated that 78.4 per cent of Malaysian respondents experienced at least one cyberattack in the past year, with over 55 per cent facing attacks monthly or weekly.
In a statement today, the company said that based on its “State of OT Security: A Comprehensive Guide to Trends, Risks, and Cyber Resilience” report released recently, a quarter of Malaysian organisations had to shut down industrial operations in 2023 due to successful attacks.
The report surveyed 1,979 information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) business leaders across 23 countries globally, including 51 leaders in Malaysia, to understand the trends, risks, and cyber resilience strategies within OT environments.
For this reason, Palo Alto Networks stated that the collaboration between IT and OT teams needs to be strengthened to ensure a consolidated approach to cybersecurity.
According to the report, 68.6 per cent of respondents stated the relationship between OT and IT was either siloed or frictional.
This disparity is attributed to the historical roles of both teams, with IT traditionally responsible for company-wide security and OT focused on industrial operations, Palo Alto Networks said.
The company also recommended that an artificial intelligence-led approach stands at the forefront of defence, offering unparalleled capabilities to analyse massive data volumes at speed, as well as identify patterns indicating imminent threats, even before an attack occurs.
Palo Alto Networks’ country manager for Malaysia, Sarene Lee said to combat sophisticated cyber threats, companies also need to secure their cloud infrastructure and create a zero-trust policy to ensure strong access security.
“By implementing these safeguards, our industrial sector can better protect its assets and ensure operational continuity in the face of emerging cyber threats,” she said.
