KUALA LUMPUR: Strengthening digital identity and cross-sector collaboration are fundamental to safeguarding the country's cyber sovereignty and defence against large-scale digital threats, says Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin.
The National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) chief executive said physical and digital authentication ecosystems must complement each other to ensure the stability and security of the country's digital infrastructure.
"Digital identity must be built around trusted elements," he said when officiating the rawSEC MiniCon 2026 conference at TNB Platinum, Bangsar, here Saturday (Oct 31).
He said the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS) 2025-2030 required comprehensive cooperation between the public and private sectors, as well as the community, with public participation being a key determinant of its successful implementation.
The conference, organised by rawSEC in collaboration with the Malaysian Cyber Security Community Organisation (MCCO), highlighted cyber espionage tactics and proactive prevention measures through counterintelligence, while encouraging cooperation among national security agencies, industry experts, technical practitioners and emerging talent.
MyDigital ID Sdn Bhd deputy chief executive officer Azrin Aris, in a special presentation at the conference, stressed the need to strengthen user authentication mechanisms to close gaps that could be exploited by cybercriminals.
"The shift from traditional single-factor authentication to the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) has been proven to significantly enhance the security and integrity of digital identities," he said.
Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) head of cybersecurity Nasrin Abg Omar warned that without robust cyber defence capabilities, the country faced the risk of power supply disruptions that could affect the operations of critical infrastructure.
RawSEC and MCCO chairman Tahrizi Tahreb said the community now brought together more than 3,000 cybersecurity practitioners nationwide, compared with just 15 members when it was established in 2017.
He said the Regional Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (RECAP) had expanded through the RAKSASA programme in the Southern Zone, RENTAS in the Central Region, REMBULAN on the East Coast and BERAMBEH in Sarawak.
Tahrizi said MCCO's official registration as a non-governmental organisation on April 7 last year, together with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Asean-Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA), reflected its continued commitment to developing local talent with strong ethical values and the ability to compete internationally. - Bernama
