PUTRAJAYA: A total of five government agencies and nine private companies were affected by the global information technology (IT) outage on July 19, says Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
The government agencies named were the Transport Ministry, Education Ministry, Rural and Regional Development Ministry, National Institute of Health and Kedah Zakat Board.
The nine private companies that were impacted were the aviation, banking, and healthcare sectors.
"All data in the government sector are secured. There has been no data leakage, and we have observed no issues regarding data integrity,” he told a press conference here on Wednesday (July 24).
However, Gobind said there had been a phishing attempt during the IT outage, which the government successfully prevented.
"Although it was not a cyber attack, the ministry takes this matter seriously. Such disruptions highlight weaknesses in existing IT systems that could lead to significant damage and loss if they recur,” he said.
Gobind outlined measures to ensure such incidents do not happen again, including requiring software providers to improve testing procedures before deployment, ensuring regular reviews and updates of software plans, and the importance of having a comprehensive incident response plan and stakeholder communication strategy.
He said the incident underscores the importance of good governance in managing digital platforms.
The Digital Ministry is addressing this by introducing and improving laws, including the Cybersecurity Act 2024 and amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709), he added. – Bernama
