IPOH: The risk of cyber attacks has increased in tandem with the proliferation of smart mobile devices connected to the Internet.
CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab warned that cyber criminals were using sophisticated methods to harvest personal and financial information.
“Cyber threats have increased in sheer scale, sophistication and frequency,” he said.
Speaking at the launch of UTP-HAX National Hacking Competition, here, recently, Amirudin said it was a formidable task fighting cyber criminals because it was close to impossible to track down hackers, their motives and the location of the phishing source.
“Cyber attacks are a daily reality and they are growing in sophistication and complexity. Such attacks underscore the need and urgency for companies in Malaysia to be better protected against a myriad of cyber security threats by bolstering their defence,” he said.
“We need more than just tools and solutions to protect against hackers. In particular, there must be better training of security administrators of networks or those entrusted with safeguarding computer systems,” he said.
Cyber security personnel, said Amirudin, have also to anticipate the nature of threats.
“To beat a hacker, they need to think like one.”
Participants of the competition, will attempt to penetrate computer networks or systems.
“The experience will give them greater insight into how to ensure a safe and secure cyberspace,” he said.
Universiti Teknologi Petronas deputy vice-chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Hani said UTP-HAX 2014 was a multi-tiered, team-based hacking competition modelled after the Cyberlympic Hacking Competition.
“It is a test of teamwork, mental toughness, speed and accuracy, ” he said.
Forty teams representing 17 local universities took part in the competition with RM10,000 prize money. By Sylvia Looi