KUALA LUMPUR: The RM27 million allocation to CyberSecurity Malaysia in the 2021 Budget provides opportunities for cooperation among more security analysts and academicians in the country to provide qualitative exposure and development of cybersecurity software.
A senior lecturer at the Centre of Media and Information Warfare Studies, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Dr Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin said the collaboration could include organising awareness programmes and the provision of self-protection manuals to detect threats and attempts to frame digital users or related industries.
"Software development and regulation of more centralised data should also be a priority for cybersecurity in ensuring strategic collaboration with industries that have access to consumer digital data.
"This will indirectly protect important data and software from being hacked by irresponsible groups
to commit cybercrime," he told Bernama.
Noor Nirwandy said the government's RM500 million allocation to the National Digital Network (Jendela) was the best way to provide better Internet access to 430 schools to facilitate online learning.
"Jendela is the catalyst for targeted strategies and approaches that serve
as a benchmark for long-term strategies for solutions and improvements in digital and online learning in the country.
"The laptop financing scheme for university students is the awaited news for students to improve the quality of online learning for them," he added.
CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said the agency had, and would, continue to cooperate with academicians from institutions of higher learning to boost the country's cybersecurity.
He regarded the government's initiative as a recognition in an effort to prevent the threat of cybercrime and, at the same time, ensure safe and conducive cybersecurity infrastructure in Malaysia.
He said based on data from the Cyber999 Aid Centre, which was operated by CyberSecurity Malaysia, 9,042 reports had been lodged up to last month, compared with 8,770 last year.
He said the three most reported cases were fraud, intrusion and malicious code.
"With the current level of risk, types of threats and the number of cyberattacks that occurred, cybersecurity approaches need to be implemented holistically involving individuals, processes and technologies that are effective at reducing the risk of cyberattacks, as well as protecting the network system and technology itself."
Last Friday, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, when tabling the 2021 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat, had announced that the government would allocate RM27 million to CyberSecurity Malaysia to boost cybersecurity controls.
The government is also allocating RM500 million to implement the Jendela initiative for 430 schools nationwide and RM7.4 billion for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to build and upgrade broadband services next year and in 2022.- BERNAMA