Too many data leaks, too little transparency

PETALING JAYA: Experts have called for greater transparency on the alleged data leak exposing the personal information of 22.5 million Malaysians.

Fong Choong Fook, founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm LGMS, said the government has yet to publish any report on a similar data leak that allegedly occurred in 2021.

Last September, a database purportedly containing the info of all Malaysians born between 1979 and 1998 was offered for sale.

The new alleged data dump, on the other hand, claims to have information on all Malaysians born between 1940 and 2004.

“I think it’s time for government agencies or any affected parties to be more transparent. They should reveal the findings of any inquiry and the steps they are taking to protect people’s personal data.

“They must notify users if any changes to their security is required,” said Fong.

He also encouraged the appropriate agencies to provide reports on periodic cybersecurity checks, as this would demonstrate their trustworthiness and reassure the public that their personal data is protected.

“There should be details on who tested their cybersecurity measures, what kind of testing was done, and when it was done,” he said.

Lawyer Foong Cheng Leong concurred, saying that the lack of transparency on investigations related to data leaks in Malaysia has been frustrating.

“There needs to be an account of how the matter is being investigated and what steps are being taken to ensure that the data is secure.

“The information could serve as a deterrent to others and show that there will be consequences for those leaking private information,” he said, adding that Malaysia has suffered many data leaks, including a major one that purportedly leaked the info of 46 million phone numbers in 2017.

He advised Malaysians to be careful when answering calls or reading messages from unknown numbers.

“Scammers can be more convincing now when they call you up to demand payment or other information from you,” he said.

Quality control officer Vivian Tan, 28, said she is worried that the personal data may be misused, as she, like many people, performs all sorts of transactions online.

“We can only do our best to guard our info because data breaches like these are not within the control of normal citizens like us,” Tan said.

Digital marketer Charles Lee, 24, wants stricter regulations on managing and protecting personal data to be in place, as he had been receiving many more scam-like messages.

“I thought ignoring these messages, which I got on Instagram, was enough, but then I started receiving them on WhatsApp.

“I wonder how they got my personal number? Looking at reports of data leaks makes me realise that we are all vulnerable to scammers misusing our personal information at this point,” Lee said, adding he has switched his profile from public to private as an added security measure.

Researcher and lecturer Ann Lee, 56, said Malaysians who embrace and trust technology, need the government to do the right thing and protect them.

“These are not just leaks in a bucket or tong! This is the entire ship going down. The government must not take its own sweet time to address massive data leaks,” she said.