KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Personal Data Protection (JPDP) has confirmed that there was no personal data breach following the alleged cyberattack by a hacking group known as R00TK1T on Maxis Berhad.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo stated that Maxis had appropriately notified JPDP to confirm the absence of any personal data breach, as verified by digital forensics.
JPDP conducted a follow-up investigation based on the received notification and found no involvement of personal data based on the provided data samples.
“In response to the threat by R00TK1T to shut down Maxis’ network, the company took proactive measures to validate this claim. It was determined that only the Maxis Interactive Retail Assistant (MIRA) Queue Management System at a specific Maxis branch was affected,“ he explained.
“This system operates as a standalone and is not connected to any critical Maxis systems,“ he added during a Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session today, addressing Chong Zhemin’s (PH-Kampar) inquiry about R00TK1T’s threat to shut down Maxis’ network.
Gobind emphasised that CyberSecurity Malaysia, JPDP, and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) consistently engage in monitoring activities to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s data and digital infrastructure.
He added that the Ministry will continue collaborating with NACSA and international cyber agencies to monitor and act against cyberthreat actors.
He outlined several initiatives, including the implementation of diverse programmes to strengthen capacity-building and the provision of RM5 million in scholarships through EC-Council, benefiting 2,000 individuals.
“We will also collaborate with universities and private companies to further strengthen this aspect,“ he added in response to a supplementary question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap) concerning the Ministry’s efforts to boost the number of cybersecurity experts. - Bernama
