PETALING JAYA: Nuemera Sdn Bhd, the company appointed to manage the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) public cellular blocking service (PCBS), has declined to comment on an alleged data breach issue while the matter is still being investigated.
“It is best that you contact the authorities for further information on the investigation,” a company spokesman said.
This comes after a Malaysiakini report linked the PCBS to a data breach involving 46 million mobile phone numbers. The PCBS was created as a way to reduce street crime and handphone theft and worked by disabling the phone’s unique 15-digit International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) code.
It was announced in August 2013.
The PCBS, also known as the “Block My Phone” service, is provided for free by the MCMC.
According to its promotional website, users simply have to register their phones at www.blockmyphone.my to stop others from using the stolen device with the assurance of an increased chance of recovering it.
The system requires service providers to install an Equipment Identity Register (EIR) on their side to identify and blacklist an IMEI if a phone is reported stolen.
EIRs are also linked to the Malaysian Central Equipment Identity Register to which the IMEI codes are forwarded.
The establishment of the system came as a ministerial direction to the MCMC in 2007 which stated that Nuemera would build, operate and manage the system.
The directive was signed by the then Energy, Water and Communications Minister, the late Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.
It is unknown how the data breach occurred, but it only came to light when technology portal Lowyat.net reported that an unknown user attempted to sell the leaked information on its forum.
In Parliament, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Jailani Johari said it is premature to draw conclusions on the data breach because the investigation is still ongoing.
“I believe the police will call the witnesses identified to take their statements.
“The MCMC has contacted the telcos to get information on the incident. We have also instructed telcos to ensure there are no leaks in all their system transactions,” he said when winding up his ministry’s debates on Budget 2018 yesterday.
He also stressed that mobile data users must be careful with their personal information, despite the Government providing safeguards.
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