PETALING JAYA: The National Digital Trust and Data Security Strategy 2026 to 2030 is expected to be presented in the third quarter of this year, says Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
Gobind said the strategy is now being finalised, and the government is also focusing on preparing the relevant agencies to ensure its effective implementation.
“I hope that in the third quarter of this year, we can present that strategy and also launch the agency to ensure its implementation.
“It is an existing agency, but we will have to restructure it so that it can also oversee and enforce the strategy,” Gobind told the media on the sidelines of the RHB Digital Trust Programme yesterday.
RHB Banking Group launched the RHB Digital Trust Programme, featuring RHB Cyber-Secure, Malaysia’s first bank-led cybersecurity self-assessment tool.
This tool is designed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) better understand their cyber and fraud risk exposure and assess their cybersecurity readiness.
As part of the programme, RHB Bank
Bhd and CyberSecurity Malaysia exchanged a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cyber awareness, capability‑building and resilience among Malaysian businesses through joint initiatives.
Under the MoU, RHB together with CyberSecurity Malaysia will support workshops, seminars and training programmes, with digital certification so that businesses can build real verifiable cybersecurity capability within their teams.
Moreover, both organisations will run joint awareness campaigns to keep businesses informed on the latest cyber threats, fraud trends and what to watch out for.
This is because the threats are always evolving, and staying informed is the first line of defence.
RHB also highlighted the partnership will explore practical tools to help businesses manage cyber risk, including areas like cybersecurity insurance and other solutions that give businesses a stronger safety net in the digital age.
RHB Banking group managing director and group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Rashid Mohamad said cybersecurity is no longer just a technical afterthought, it is a business survival issue for SMEs.
“Through RHB Cyber-Secure, we want to give businesses a practical and accessible way to understand their cyber risks, strengthen resilience and operate with greater confidence in an increasingly digital environment,” he said.
CyberSecurity Malaysia acting chief executive officer Roshdi Ahmad said securing the digital ecosystem requires collective effort across the public and private sectors.
“This partnership with RHB highlights the importance of industry‑led initiatives in building cyber resilience,” he said,
“By equipping SMEs with practical tools and knowledge, we are supporting businesses in managing evolving cyber threats while strengthening overall digital trust.”
Officiating the launch, Gobind said when it comes to cybersecurity for SMEs, it is not only about protecting systems, but it is about protecting businesses, livelihoods and trust in the digital economy itself.
“This is why industry-led initiatives such as the RHB Digital Trust Programme are important.
“The launch of RHB Cyber-Secure gives businesses, especially SMEs, a practical and structured way to assess cyber readiness, identify vulnerabilities and strengthen digital defences before incidents happen,’ he said in officiating the launch.
Indeed, cybersecurity is no longer just a problem for banks and large corporations, as experts in a later panel session highlighted that SMEs are also a critical part of the broader digital ecosystem and need to be better protected.
“What RHB is doing right now is very forward-looking, because a lot of times we see big corporates wanting to do their own side of the business, but do not forget that SMEs are supporting a lot of the major companies as well,” Moody’s Apac/Middle East head of financial crime practice group Chua Choon Hong said in the panel titled, “Protecting Businesses and Society in the Digital Age”.
Meanwhile, CyberSecurity Malaysia chief technology officer Wan Roshaimi Wan Abdullah said SMEs are more likely to become targets of cyberattacks compared with larger organisations, as the latter has already invested heavily in cybersecurity measures.
“From the hackers’ point of view, why try so hard to attack those that already have preventive measures? They would be more inclined to target companies that do not have any preventive measures in place yet.
“Some small companies probably only have one employee that does everything, and that is actually a weak point to cyberattacks,” he said.
RHB Bank group transaction banking head Dev Raaj Shanmugam said whilst the infrastructure, information and controls have been put in place, yet consumers, both retail and non-retail, are still subjected to fraud-related incidents.
As such, Dev Raaj said this means that more needs to be done, beyond what to better protect consumers and businesses.
“We sit in a very unique position because we interact with customers everywhere.
“Currently, more often than not, the conversation is skewed towards products and services. As such, what we are trying to do now is to bring in the element of cybersecurity into those conversations.
“The first step is always to create awareness. With the launch of the RHB Digital Trust Programme, it is not going to just be about awareness. We are also going to help SMEs with the necessary capabilities and tools to learn about it and also protect themselves against such problems.
“So, we are slowly moving away from just positioning products and services as a form of conversation. Slowly, as a bank, we will take on a more consultancy and advisory role in educating our customers to use banking services as well as to protect themselves,” he said.
The Association of Banks in Malaysia executive director Dr Amina Kayani also concurred that there is still more that needs to be done to combat scams as there are still many cases, particularly authorised scams like love scams and investment scams.
“One of the security measures put in place by banks is the removal of hyperlinks, where consumers will no longer receive hyperlinks from banks through SMS or email.
“There is also a minimum operating system requirement for banking apps because older phone operating systems expose users to more vulnerabilities.
“Other measures include malware shielding and a kill switch feature. Education is key because understanding these tools helps consumers better protect themselves,” she said.
PayNet acting chief information security officer Chris Ooi Wyn Jae said businesses need to continuously update their cybersecurity measures as technology and cyber threats evolve rapidly, with attackers increasingly exploiting artificial intelligence and zero-day vulnerabilities to identify weaknesses across systems and applications.
Ooi added PayNet has invested in research and development involving artificial intelligence and security assessment tools to strengthen fraud detection and cybersecurity capabilities.
Wan Roshaimi acknowledged that many SMEs face budget and manpower constraints when it comes to cybersecurity, but stressed that businesses can still begin with basic and affordable security practices.
“Start with the basics, such as password security and simple risk assessments.
“There are also a number of tools that are not expensive and there are communities that provide sharing hubs in this area as well,” he said.
