Malaysia nears Singapore in govt cybersecurity preparedness

 Kaspersky's Sergey Lozhkin says no country can afford to neglect cybersecurity investment.

Kaspersky’s Sergey Lozhkin said they are willing to work with the armed forces to establish a dedicated cyber team to strengthen the country’s cyber defence capabilities.

PETALING JAYA:

Malaysia is well prepared to defend against advanced cyber threats targeting government institutions, according to global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.

Sergey Lozhkin, head of the Research Centre for Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said Kaspersky had observed advanced persistent threat (APT) activities targeting the country, but Malaysia was doing a good job of protecting its government.

“Malaysia is much closer to Singapore in terms of government cybersecurity preparedness, and that is good,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Weekend 2026 in Guangzhou, China, today.

APTs are highly sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks, usually carried out by nation-state groups or well-funded hacking organisations, that infiltrate a network and remain undetected for an extended period.

Lozhkin said governments globally face increasing threats from sophisticated state-sponsored cyber actors, warning that no country can afford to neglect investments in cybersecurity capabilities.

He said some government organisations are simultaneously compromised by multiple APT groups due to insufficient protection, particularly in developing countries where cybersecurity budgets are limited.

“We are living in a world with an unstable political situation, and if governments don’t invest in cybersecurity budgets, people and planning, they will be infected by multiple APTs. Information will be leaked and stolen,” he said.

Lozhkin also said governments should prioritise threat intelligence and cybersecurity awareness across all levels of the public sector, rather than limiting training to just the information technology personnel.

Commenting on the armed forces’ plan to establish a dedicated cyber team, Lozhkin described the move as a positive development that could strengthen the country’s cyber defence capabilities.

“If the Malaysian government has cybersecurity researchers within the government who not only worked in a security operations centre but also conducted security research, hunted for new threats and stayed ahead of attackers, it would be a great development,” he said.

Lozhkin said Kaspersky would be interested in meeting the unit and helping them. - FMT