PETALING JAYA: Malaysia must strengthen its cybersecurity defences, as growing digital connectivity and geopolitical tensions could make the country the target of cyber attacks.
Universiti Sains Malaysia Cybersecurity Research Centre director Prof Dr Selvakumar Manickam said Malaysia’s expanding digital economy, widespread use of online banking and e-wallets, and growing data centre and cloud sectors had increased its exposure to cyber threats.
He said Malaysia’s position as a regional trade and logistics hub, coupled with its stance on certain international issues, could also attract interest from state-linked actors, hacktivists and cybercriminal groups.
“The question is not whether Malaysia will be targeted, but how well it can withstand and recover from an attack,” he said.
Selvakumar said ransomware, phishing, credential theft, data breaches and cyber espionage were among the threats that could cause significant disruption.
He warned that attacks on critical infrastructure, including energy, transportation, banking, healthcare and government systems, could have far-reaching consequences because these sectors were interconnected.
“Attacks targeting power generation, transmission, distribution or industrial control systems could disrupt electricity supply.
“The consequences could extend beyond the energy sector, affecting telecommunications, banking, water supply and healthcare,” he said.
Selvakumar said Malaysia had established a national cybersecurity framework, with the Cyber Security Act 2024 providing an important foundation for protecting National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII).
However, he said operational gaps remained, particularly involving legacy systems in sectors such as energy, water and transportation, as well as uneven cybersecurity resources among organisations.
He said regular national-level cyber exercises involving government agencies, regulators and critical infrastructure operators were needed to test their ability to detect attacks, contain their impact and restore essential services.
“Individuals should protect themselves by using strong and unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, verifying suspicious messages and calls, and monitoring financial transactions.
“Businesses should update their systems, maintain tested offline backups, assess third-party security risks and train employees to recognise phishing attempts,” he said.
Cybersecurity consultant Fong Choong Fook said Malaysia was no exception to the global rise in cyber threats, with organisations across different sectors increasingly exposed.
He said his company had observed more cyber attacks targeting Malaysian organisations in recent months, including incidents involving artificial intelligence-driven attacks.
“We are quite vulnerable, but there was no need for panic, and the public and businesses should remain cautious,” he said.
Fong said hackers were no longer concentrating only on traditionally attractive targets such as financial institutions and critical infrastructure, but were increasingly attacking organisations across different industries.
He said hospitals, logistics companies, hotels and other businesses could also be targeted, as attackers sought financial returns from their operations.
“Today, as long as we are using computers, as long as you have a website and an email address, you can be a target,” he said.
Fong also expressed concern that some private-sector organisations remained complacent, believing their businesses were too small or unimportant to attract hackers.
He said many recognised the importance of cybersecurity only after an attack occurred, at a point when recovery costs could be significantly higher.
“Businesses should conduct regular security assessments, engage cybersecurity professionals, carry out cyber drills and develop response plans,” he said.
