KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has stepped up its monitoring and coordination efforts following the elevation of the national cyber threat level to medium.
The commission said it was working closely with the National Security Council, National Cyber Security Agency and other relevant authorities to monitor developments, share information and coordinate appropriate response measures.
“We have also intensified engagement with industry players across the communications and multimedia sector, including telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and courier services.
“We urge industry players to review their preparedness, assess potential risks and vulnerabilities, strengthen preventive and detection measures, and remain ready to respond effectively to any incident,” the commission said when contacted.
Emphasis is also being placed on incident response, recovery arrangements and business continuity to minimise potential disruption and ensure the continued availability and resilience of essential communications and multimedia services, it said.
Meanwhile, experts are calling for cybersecurity preparedness to be strengthened, especially since even refrigeration systems could become targets of cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity expert Murugason R. Thangaratnam said recent cyberattacks in France and several European countries had exposed vulnerabilities in equipment used to store essential supplies, including blood plasma, food and medicine.
He said three plasma cold-storage facilities operated by the French Blood Establishment were targeted in a cyberattack on Nov 2, with their temperature and defrost settings manipulated to extreme levels.
Similar incidents had also been reported at supermarkets in Europe, where refrigeration systems were allegedly tampered with, resulting in chilled and frozen products being withdrawn from stores.
He added that while Malaysia had made progress in protecting critical infrastructure through the Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854), greater attention should be given to equipment and third-party suppliers operating behind the scenes.
He urged authorities and industry players to assess whether hospital blood banks, vaccine storage facilities, pharmaceutical depots and food distribution centres knew which suppliers had remote access to their refrigeration systems.
“Have independent temperature monitoring systems to detect manipulation or equipment failures,” he said, adding that the government should expand cybersecurity oversight to cover contractors and equipment suppliers, while conducting cross-sector exercises to prepare for simultaneous disruptions involving power, water, cooling systems, ports and communications.
Former Cybersecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said extra vigilance was required to prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited.
“It is important because many aspects of our daily lives depend on digital infrastructure.
“A successful cyberattack against a bank, telecommunications provider, electricity supplier, hospital or government service could potentially result in temporary disruption to online banking and financial transactions, interruption of telecommunications and Internet connectivity as well as disruptions to essential public services, including healthcare,” he said.
It also could lead to exposure or theft of personal information, financial data and identity credentials, as well as increased phishing, online scams and identity theft attempts, he added.
“Malaysians should adopt several basic cybersecurity practices such as enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) for online banking, email and other important accounts.
“The use of strong and unique passwords, preferably supported by a reputable password manager, is also encouraged.
“More importantly, Malaysians should also be alert to misinformation and false reports that may circulate during periods of heightened geopolitical or cybersecurity tensions,” he added.
On Nov 3, Singapore Airlines said about 46,000 booking records could have been affected by a cybersecurity incident involving Amadeus, its reservation technology provider.
The same breach had also affected Malaysia Airlines, which said certain customer information processed through Amadeus between August 2023 and September 2026 could have been affected.
