KUALA LUMPUR: More government funding is needed to nurture local cybersecurity talent and help homegrown solutions scale beyond Malaysia, according to the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) ahead of Budget 2027.
"I hope the government can provide more support and funding to promote local products and talent, helping them grow not only in Malaysia but also expand their presence across the region," Nacsa chief executive Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin said during an interview at CyberDSA in Kuala Lumpur today (Oct 7).
He added that Nacsa has always highlighted how the cybersecurity industry needs to be supported with emphasis on local talents and reduce dependency on external parties.
"This includes developing local capacity to detect, assess and counter the misuse of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), and to protect high-value data and NCII (National Critical Information Infrastructure) systems with home-grown understanding and tools. Our local experts should not be supporting players in this effort. They should be part of the leadership," he said.
Budget 2027 will be announced on Friday (Oct 9).
At CyberDSA, Nacsa also launched the My Cyber Hero Portal, an interactive cybersecurity education platform for students nationwide.
Megat Zuhairy said the platform is developed by Micro Concept Tech with the support of Nacsa, BlackBerry Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence and Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU).
"We will support any initiative that promotes capacity-building. Cybersecurity understanding should start early with our children. In fact, I've seen how kids are the ones advising parents about cybersecurity and scams.
"I believe even adults can benefit from this initiative. Cybersecurity should not be the responsibility of just one party or organisation. It's a responsiblity for all as individuals," he said.
Megat Zuhairy added that the portal uses gamification to encourage students to complete quizzes across five modules covering topics such as computers, cyberattacks and AI.
"A cyber hero is not only the expert in a security operations centre. It is also the student who can spot a scam, protect their accounts and help their family stay safe online. By reaching our young people early, we are building a generation that is aware, careful and confident in the digital world," he added.
The portal is available at arena.mycyberhero.my.
Megat Zuhairy also announced that CyberDSA will return in October 2027.
