Malaysia urged to strengthen vigilance against state-linked hackers
Nacsa has raised the National Cyber Security Threat Level from Low to Moderate, a move MCCA’s president described as precautionary.
Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil has urged greater vigilance against state-linked hackers, warning that they can compromise networks and disrupt essential services. His comments followed the National Cyber Security Agency's (Nacsa) decision to lift Malaysia's cyber threat rating from Low to Moderate.
Speaking to Bernama, Siraj described the higher threat level as a precaution intended to strengthen readiness and avoid public panic if critical services suffer an intrusion or disruption. He said it reflected government efforts to protect digital infrastructure.
Siraj cited the North Korea-linked Lazarus Group, which is believed to have been involved in international hacking incidents targeting financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges. He also said Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups associated with Russia and other nations could remain hidden within systems for long periods, stealing information or interfering with operations.
He said cyberattacks were also being used in geopolitical conflicts to target adversaries' infrastructure. State involvement was often obscured through the use of unidentified groups, he added.
Siraj said cooperation between government, industry and the cybersecurity community, supported by the Cyber Security Act 2024, had strengthened Malaysia's cybersecurity foundations. He identified Nacsa, CyberSecurity Malaysia, the Royal Malaysian Police, the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Personal Data Protection Department as participants in coordinated digital defence efforts.
