By Engku Shariful Azni
Pix Ikhwan Hashim

BANGI, 17 May 2016 – Malaysia is regarded as one of the top ten countries that are vulnerable  to cyber attack,  besides the United States and North Korea, says Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, CEO of CyberSecurity Malaysia.

He said 65 percent of organisations in Malaysia face risks of cyber attacks.

 “Goverment sectors are the most vulnerable targets, followed by the  telecommunications and finacial sectors,” Dr Amirudin said at the Round Table Discussion Securing Critical Systems for The Protection of National Digital Assets at the  Faculty of Information Science and Technology (FTSM), here recently.

CyberSecurity Malaysia received more than 10 thousand reports and cases regarding to cyber attacks and crimes every year.

He cautioned that the country’s economy might be paralysed and sustain great losses if the hacking continues.

“Cyber attacks are very stealthy and hard to recognise, compared to physical attacks that are easier to see and respond,” he stressed.

The prime targets are official government websites

Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, Head of Network Safety and Enforcement at the  Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), urged academicians to get involved in strenghtening cyber security and to create awarness in society about the issues.

Lt Kol Shamsul Afkar Abd Rahman, representating Defence Intelligence of the Army warned that cyber technology can be used to hack into national secrets.

“The best defence is offence,” declared Lt Kol Shamsul Afkar.

He stressed that more specialists on ICT and cyber troopers are needed to avoid a catastrophe.

Also present at the round table discussion was FTSM Dean Prof Dr Abdullah Mohd Zin.