SEPANG, March 17 — Cybersecurity threats in Malaysia have recently been increasing in terms of frequency and severity of attacks, said Communications and Digital Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Last year alone, she said the country experienced a number of serious cyber attacks including ransomware attacks, cyber espionage attempts, data leaks and cyber scams.

Based on the statistics from Cyber Security Malaysia (CSM), Malaysia reported 4,741 cases of cyber threats last year, while this year, 456 fraud cases were recorded as of February 2023.

"The National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) received a total of 3,482 genuine calls recording losses of RM27 million for January and February this year alone,” she said after launching #BeCyberSmart, a cybersecurity campaign and PROTECT 360, an all-in-one network security solution application, here today.

The campaign will feature various initiatives including engagements to reach out to citizens and promote cybersecurity best practices and promote PROTECT 360 complete security, privacy and identity protection on devices as well as protection against malware, phishing and hacking attempts.

Teo said NSRC, which was established in October last year as a command centre to coordinate rapid response for online financial scams, received over 4,000 calls each month but not all calls are genuine.

"Cyber attacks can have very damaging consequences for individuals, businesses, and governments alike, ranging from financial losses to personal information breaches, and even disruption of essential services,” she said.

She said the Unity Government recognised the critical significance of cybersecurity and cybercrime and was looking to implement multiple initiatives aimed at protecting its citizens and national security.

"This commitment is reflected in the 2023 Budget where RM10 million was allocated to NSRC to upgrade equipment and start a campaign to raise awareness as well as promote the NSRC’s 997 hotlines,” she added. — Bernama