A few months ago, Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Dato’ Seri Hamzah Zainudin, singled out the threat to the country’s cyberspace as one of the biggest concerns. The minister raised this alarm at the launch of the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia exhibitions at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in late March.
The data is disturbing. Incidents of cyber-bullying, scams, intrusion and phishing, both in the government and private sector, have witnessed an exponential rise in the past few years.
In 2019, over 13,000 cases of cybercrime were reported, incurring losses of RM539 million. In 2020, this figure climbed to 17,000. In 2021, it crossed 20,000, with losses of RM560 million. This year, up to February, cases of cybercrime have already touched 3,273, inducing losses of over RM114 million.
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This is a frightening, degenerating development. While not a technology powerhouse, Malaysia’s global standing and commitment to securing its cyberspace was among the best till about last year when it ranked eighth out of 194 states in the 2021 Global Cybersecurity Index released by the International Telecoms Union, a United Nations agency. It has been in the top 10 since the first report was released in 2014.
A comprehensive analysis of emerging stress areas to assess, arrest and prevent cyber-attacks is crucial as the government has, of late, shown deficiencies when it comes to the defence of government and national assets and systems. While its national policy and global connections are robust, it has failed to optimise its cyber muscle.
In this complex, interconnected environment, an integrated, sustainable strategy between the government and the private sector is key to resolving this rising problem.
Leading companies specialising in developing solutions and tools to fight cybercrime, like IBM, Check Point, Wynyard Group, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks, among others, have developed and are improving on advanced cybercrime-related solutions to thwart such attacks.
Cyber Threat Analytics (CTA), an advanced software solution developed by Wynyard Group, offers Network Virus Management System (NVMS), Data Diode, Deception Technology and Distributed SIEM Solution as tools for securing organisational data and infrastructures. Its data diode technology is a unidirectional network communication device that enables the safe, one-way transfer of data between segmented networks. Its design maintains physical and electrical separation of source and destination networks, establishing a non-routable, completely closed one-way data transfer between networks.
Businesses and governments depend on technology to transact and operate. Their activities rely on an interdependent network of information technology infrastructures, which inadvertently offers greater possibilities to cyber criminals to exploit wide-ranging vulnerabilities.
Fortinet is already seeing security demand in the ASEAN region, including Malaysia. “As many businesses are accelerating digital innovation to transform themselves in key growth areas, they could be more exposed to cybersecurity risks. They need to have a security posture by having a cybersecurity platform across endpoints, networks, and cloud,” said Peerapong Jongvibool, vice-president for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong while speaking to Bangkok Post.
Defending critical systems from cyber threats are challenging. They all have distinctive operational frameworks, access points, and a variety of legacy systems and emerging technologies. The explosion of connected devices comprising the Internet of Things and the Industrial Internet of Things is daunting. With attacks becoming more sophisticated in nature, constant innovation and a unified approach are crucial to stay ahead of the curve.
It’s important to remember that information and data are as valuable as weaponry. There is just too much at stake.
*This article was written by Emma Scott – a full-time author and mentor. She is interested in writing blogs on Cybersecurity, Startups, and Technology. She has helped many clients improve their confidence in their ability to write a compelling, high-quality book and leverage it in their business or career.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of NHA – News Hub Asia.
