KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan today stressed on the critical need to protect Malaysia from cyber threats amid an uptick in cases.

He revealed that a total of 2,674 cyber incidents have been reported to the National Cyber Control and Coordination Centre as at October.

"Activities such as ransomware and advanced persistent threats, become serious threats, especially from parties which may have a geopolitical agenda.

"In addition, the widespread use of digital devices and technology has also increased the risk of increasingly dynamic and complex cyber attacks, such as phishing and Distribution of Denial-of-Service Attacks,” he said in his speech while launching the Capacity Development Programme and Public Dialogue Session on the Cyber Security Bill 2023 here.

He was giving the speech on behalf of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was initially slated to launch the event.

He also said that on a global scale, the European Commission reported a staggering 9.75 million DDoS attacks worldwide in 2021.

He noted that every 11 seconds, an organisation falls victim to a ransomware attack, underscoring the increasingly complex and pervasive nature of contemporary cyber threats.

"Cyberspace is a new domain of national security and geopolitics. State and non-state actors, use various mechanisms to weaken national security, without having to attack physically, and only through virtual attacks.

"All over the world, Critical National Information Infrastructure, such as the electricity supply grid, internet infrastructure, and banking systems among others, are now increasingly becoming the main targets for cybercriminals.

"These cybercriminals are always trying to find a way to exploit every weakness of a system, application or technology, to achieve interests and gain profit,” he said.

He said to combat these evolving threats, the Malaysian government is taking decisive action by introducing the Cyber Security Bill.

Cabinet gave its preliminary approval earlier this month for the drafting of the Cyber Security Bill, aimed at allocating regulatory powers and enforcing laws related to cybersecurity.

With only one month left to 2023, Mohamad hopes the Bill can be tabled in Parliament before the end of the year.

"I hope the Cyber Security Bill will be tabled during the current Parliament session. We still have about 10 Bills to pass and only a few days left before the meeting ends.

"November 27 is the last day we have to pass Budget 2024 and hopefully we can table the Bill this session,” he said.

He added that as part of this initiative, the National Cyber Security Agency is set to undergo strengthening, positioning it as the primary agency for national cybersecurity and the key enforcement entity for the proposed Bill.

He also stressed the urgency of prioritising cybersecurity to safeguard the nation's digital future in the face of evolving and persistent cyber threats.