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Crafting a Malaysian Position in Cyber 26
Malaysia’s Cyber Outlook threats, ransomware, and zero-day
cyber-attacks.
Even prior to the pandemic, Malaysia was
one of the more digitally advanced Malaysia had recognised cyber security
countries. More than 70% of households as a national priority since the late 1990s.
were connected to the internet in 2015, The country had taken steps and made
and a year prior to the pandemic, in 2019, early commitments to address
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more than 90.1% of Malaysian households cybersecurity concerns and develop a
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had access to the internet. According to solid national strategy with laws, such as
the Malaysia Communications and the Communications and Multimedia Act
Multimedia Commission, Malaysia’s 1998 and National Cyber Security Policy
internet activities have remained consist- (NCSP) launched in 2006. At least 15
ent through the years, with more than 90% years have passed since the first
using it for messaging (96.5% in 2018 and cybersecurity policy, NCSP, which
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98.1% in 2020). COVID-19 further aided established mechanisms addressing
the digitalisation process, with lockdowns threats to the critical national information
forcing the public and private sector to infrastructure (CNII). Its successor, the
utilise cyber for economic and social National Cyber Security Strategy was
needs. launched in 2020.

Despite the urgency to set up remote Cybersecurity is an issue that transcends
work systems, organisations and borders, hence strong international
companies did not have su cient alliances and intelligence-sharing between
oversight mechanisms in place. About 79% trusted international partners are
of organisations reported ransomware important to build greater stability in
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attacks in 2021. Global security company cyber. For instance, cybercriminals take
Kaspersky stated that Malaysia registered advantage of the interconnected and
the highest number of COVID-related replicable nature of the internet.
cyberthreats in Southeast Asia in
2020, followed by Vietnam, the Strategic partnerships between govern-
Philippines and Indonesia . Malaysia has ments and the private sector must be
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been experiencing a rise in the number of established to address vulnerabilities
cyber incidents. Between January and along the entire supply chain or system.
August 2021, CyberSecurity Malaysia There is a need for ASEAN-based
recorded 7,495 cases, compared with partnerships in cybercrime, norms and
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5,078 in 2018 and 6,478 in 2019 . During capacity-building along with engagements
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the pandemic, concerns were also raised in international fora, Track II
about an increase in content-related issues conversations and private sector-led
in Malaysian cyber, such as disinformation conversations to harmonise processes and
and misinformation, which had a exchange best practices to build a safe
significant impact on clarity of cyberspace. Key to this is Malaysia’s
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government action and public calm. impartial and careful navigation of
During the movement-control order, the international a airs that would allow it to
National Cyber Control and Command establish relationships facilitated by
Centre, or NC4, detected and contained engagements, dialogues and international
several cyber-attacks on government collaboration.
agencies, including advanced persistent