Malaysia must step up vigilance against state-linked hackers, says MCCA

 Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association president Siraj Jalil says threats can come from individuals, specific groups, or nations using third parties.

Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association president Siraj Jalil said cyberattacks had also become a feature of geopolitical conflicts, with warring parties leveraging cyberspace to target the infrastructure and systems of adversary nations.

KUALA LUMPUR:

Malaysia must step up its vigilance against threats posed by state-linked hacker groups capable of breaching networks and crippling essential services, says Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil.

He said these well-organised groups were allegedly backed or funded by specific entities to launch large-scale cyberattacks against organisations and other nations.

One of them is the North Korea-linked Lazarus Group, which is believed to be involved in several international hacking incidents, including attacks on the financial sector and cryptocurrency exchange platforms.

Siraj said Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups linked to Russia and several other nations were also capable of covertly infiltrating systems over extended periods to steal information or disrupt essential operations.

Commenting on the National Cyber Security Agency’s (Nacsa) move to raise the national cybersecurity threat level from low to moderate, he said the measure reflects the government’s proactive approach to strengthening the protection of the country’s digital infrastructure.

He said Malaysia possesses an increasingly robust cybersecurity foundation through cooperation among the cybersecurity community, industry, and the government, supported by the implementation of the Cyber Security Act 2024.

“Malaysia’s cybersecurity is at a commendable level, and all parties, including the cybersecurity community, industry, and the government, consistently enhance preparedness against prevailing threats,” he told Bernama.

He added that raising the threat level served as a precautionary measure to ensure readiness for any eventuality, without causing public panic should an intrusion or disruption to critical services occur.

“We must be prepared for any eventuality because threats can come from individuals, specific groups, or even nations using third parties and state-sponsored groups.

“Often, these cyberattacks do not display direct state involvement because they typically deploy anonymous, unidentified groups to stage attacks against other nations,” he said.

Siraj noted that cyberattacks had also become a feature of geopolitical conflicts, with warring parties leveraging cyberspace to target the infrastructure and systems of adversary nations.

In this regard, he said the nation’s digital defence, anchored on coordinated efforts, is being actively driven by Nacsa alongside CyberSecurity Malaysia, the police, the armed forces, and the personal data protection department.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was previously reported as saying that Malaysia is a potential target for cyberattacks due to the strength of its digital infrastructure and data centres, in addition to the government’s firm stance on several international issues, particularly on Palestine and Gaza. - FMT