RM1.8 billion Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy launched

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Saifuddin (second right) joins others in showing the booklet on ‘Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy 2020-2024’ on-stage after the launch ceremony at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has launched the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS) 2020-2024 with an allocation of RM1.8 billion to step up national cyber security preparedness.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Communications and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM) and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) would be tasked with formulating, implementing, monitoring and coordinating the medium term action plan.

The Prime Minister said the strategy was drafted based on five pillars encompassing
12 strategies, 35 actions plans and 113 programmes, as the thrust of the cyber security mechanism would be to face any forms of cyber attacks.

“The first pillar, enhances the management of national governance and cyber security by improving the country’s critical information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure as well as raising the ability to deal with cyber security issues effectively.

“In this regard, the National Cyber Security Committee has been established and I have appointed Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as chairman to steer the committee,” he said in his opening speech for the MCSS 2020-2024 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) yesterday.

His speech was read out by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah. Also present were KKMM secretary-general Datuk Suriani Ahmad and National Security Council (Strategic Security) National Security deputy director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus.

Muhyiddin said the second pillar would be to strengthen the enforcement of existing cyber security laws by reviewing related legislation as well as formulating laws on cyber security.

He said the third pillar would be empowering innovation and world standard technology in cyber security, and the fourth pillar would be to improve development capacity as well as cyber security skilled manpower.

“The fifth (pillar) is to enhance international cooperation by activating regional and international cooperation to protect national cyber space.”

Muhyiddin stressed that national cyber security would continue to be a priority in national defence and security agenda.

The Prime Minister also described initiatives in form of active cyber defence as timely especially following the increasing number of cyber crimes now during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said during the Movement Control Order, the National Cyber Control and Command Centre (NC4) had succeeded in detecting and containing several cyber attacks on certain agencies.

“Cyber attacks cover ‘Advance Persistent Threat’ (APT), which is intruding the websites of certain agencies apart from Ransomware and Zero-Day cyber attacks,” he said.

The Prime Minister also assured all that there were elements of cyber security put in place in all government-led digital initiatives, to ease the worries of all investors with regards to safety concerns.

He also pointed out that international cooperation was crucial in overcoming cyber security issues as no country could deal with these issues alone.

“Malaysia has also been supportive of cyber safety initiatives on both the regional and international platforms that have led to norm setting for cyber security in tandem with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), Asean Regional Forum (ARF), United Nations (UN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) and the Commonwealth.

“We look forward to exploring further bilateral and multilateral relationships together,” said Muhyiddin. — Bernama