Anti-graft officials waiting to probe suspected source of leak

PETALING JAYA: Police are in the process of identifying the owners of several e-mail accounts used in the massive breach of Malaysian mobile subscription data, even as anti-graft authorities wait to probe the suspected source of the leak.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said they are speaking to e-mail service providers to find the people linked to those accounts.

“That is all I can disclose at the moment,” he said, adding that the investigation is being conducted jointly with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

On Oct 19, news portal Lowyat.net reported the breach involving 46 million mobile phone numbers after receiving a tip-off that someone was attempting to sell huge databases of Malaysians’ personal details for an undisclosed amount of the digital currency Bitcoin.

Mohamad Fuzi was quoted as saying there was a possibility that the breach occurred after several employees from a company tasked with transferring the data took advantage of the situation.

In Putrajaya, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it welcomed reports against the company suspected of being the source of the breach following claims of impropriety in the manner it was awarded the contract by the MCMC.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad said no report has been received on this matter, nor on the data breach.

“We welcome parties with information to come forward. We will determine if there is any basis to open investigation papers,” he said when met at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry corruption-free pledge.

Earlier reports by a news portal suggested that the leaked data may have been destined for the MCMC’s system intended to deter mobile phone theft.

The MCMC had launched the public cellular blocking service (PCBS) in 2014 to provide a service that blocked stolen phones from being used even if the SIM card is changed.

According to the report, telcos had compiled a database of their users and handed them over for the PCBS, which was not managed by MCMC itself but outsourced to Nuemera Sdn Bhd.