Malaysia is actively addressing escalating cybersecurity threats, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) commissioner Derek Fernandez highlighting the country’s efforts.
The Sun reports that the MCMC records indicate a significant increase in suspicious calls, phishing attempts, and unsolicited messages, with 2.4 billion suspicious calls blocked between 2018 and August 2023.
The MCMC has also taken action against cyber threats by resolving 4,051 phishing websites and blocking 81 million unsolicited SMS messages, leading to the termination of 237,999 affiliated lines.
Fernandez emphasises the importance of a robust regulatory framework, legislation mandating cybersecurity measures, and data protection laws. The MCMC has established incident response protocols, identified critical infrastructure sectors, and promoted cybersecurity standards.
Collaborative efforts on national and international levels, as well as public-private partnerships, are crucial for effective threat intelligence sharing and coordinated responses.
Prof Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam from APIIT Education Group and Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation discusses the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity.
AI is being employed to detect breaches early, focusing on identifying patterns indicating unauthorised access. Research is also addressing website spoofing detection through intelligent domain security measures and integrating AI in digital forensics.
Thiruchelvam mentions the implementation of “Cybersecurity as a Service” as a proactive measure, with Cybersecurity Malaysia securing a government allocation of RM60 million for the national ‘5G Cyber Security Testing Framework’ project. This initiative aims to safeguard the integrity of Malaysia’s 5G infrastructure.
Organisations are advised to adopt a strategic playbook stressing explicit verification, least privileged access (LPA), and assuming breach in network monitoring, recognising the dynamic nature of the cybersecurity landscape.
