KUALA LUMPUR: A staggering 78 per cent increase in ransomware cases in Malaysia in the fourth quarter of 2024 has sounded the alarm on the growing complexity and scale of cyber threats, prompting urgent calls for stronger global cooperation and readiness, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said.
He said the surge highlights a critical need for a united international front in combating cybercrime.
“Cyber threats today are increasingly sophisticated and borderless. Ransomware attacks, data breaches and cyber-enabled frauds are escalating in frequency and complexity. The Cyber Games 2025 is a direct response to this need,” he said at the opening of the inaugural Cyber Games 2025 here today.
His speech text was delivered by Digital Ministry secretary-general Fabian Bigar.
Hosted by Malaysia in collaboration with the Council of Europe, INTERPOL and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), the event has drawn 120 participants from 40 countries, including United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Qatar, Morocco, Ukraine, Türkiye, Chile, Brazil, Armenia, Albania, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Singapore.
The four-day event marks the first-ever edition of the Cyber Games, a global platform designed to enhance international capacity, foster engagement and strengthen digital forensic capabilities among cybersecurity professionals.
Gobind said the initiative unites law enforcement professionals, investigators and digital forensic specialists in confronting simulated, high-pressure cyberattack scenarios, intending to improve global preparedness.
Participants will undergo real-time exercises covering digital forensics, blockchain analysis, open-source intelligence (OSINT), malware analysis, and incident response, all aimed at boosting resilience in the face of rising cybercrime threats.
The minister also noted that the Cyber Games coincided with Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025, during which the country made cybersecurity a top regional priority.
“As the Chair of ASEAN in 2025, we have placed cybersecurity and cybercrime at the forefront of our regional agenda. We are committed to driving policies and initiatives that bolster the ASEAN cyber ecosystem and promote trust in digital environments across member states,” he said.
Gobind also reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening legal frameworks, citing recent Cabinet approval for the nation’s accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the drafting of a new Cybercrime Bill expected to be tabled in Parliament by year-end.
