Cyber-boosting readiness critical in digital economy

CyberSecurity Malaysia, the national cyber security specialist and technical agency, today called for Malaysia’s public and private organisations to attain ‘cyber readiness’ by strengthening situational awareness capabilities and bolstering cyber defenses to protect against cyber threats.

“Cyber Readiness is about aligning our national cyber security initiatives with Malaysia’s digital agenda. We must transform ourselves from being easy targets for cybercriminals to formidable adversaries. To thrive in the digital age, cyber security needs to be at the heart of every organization’s digital transformation strategy. Anticipating cyber attacks is the only way to stay ahead of cyber criminals,” said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Cyber Security Malaysia – Awards, Conference and Exhibition (CSM-ACE) 2017 official opening ceremony.

“CSM-ACE 2017’s theme Cyber Readiness: Securing Digital Economy, is timely as Malaysia embarks on a fast-track transformation into a high-income knowledge economy driven by digitalisation. The creation of a vibrant digital economy is vital as it is the single most important driver of innovation, competitiveness and growth. It also promotes good governance in the nation.”

CSM-ACE is an annual public-private-partnership driven event organised by CyberSecurity Malaysia and the three-in-one cyber security programme consists of three components: awards, conference and exhibition. It serves as a catalyst for driving innovation and growth in the cyber security industry.

The ninth edition of CSM-ACE 2017 has garnered strong support from public and private sectors locally and globally. Held Oct 9 to 12, CSM-ACE 2017 registered a record of 2,000 delegates. This year, more than 40 exhibitors participated in an IT Security Exhibition to showcase and promote their products and services.

Wilfred launched CyberSecurity Malaysia’s latest digital forensic tool known as ‘Data Hapus’. The tool, developed using in-house capability, is a lightweight portable data sanitisation gadget that can wipe confidential data from storage devices. It can be used to verify contents of the storage device to ensure data is permanently deleted. CSM-ACE 2017 also organises 15 training courses, spanning over four days, to boost cyber security workforce. General Tan Sri (Dr) Zulkifeli Mohd Zin (Rtd), DirectorGeneral of National Security, National Security Council, said building the next generation of cyber security professionals was crucial to secure Malaysia’s critical information infrastructures.

Therefore, Malaysia aims to have 10,000 cyber security professionals by 2020. To help nurture a knowledge generation capable of understanding and handling cyber security threats, CyberSecurity Malaysia offers information security competency and capability courses as well as certifications. These courses will provide a firm foundation for Malaysia’s cyber security profession.

CSM-ACE 2017 continues to recognise outstanding organisations and individuals in cyber security through its Malaysia Cyber Security Awards. The event will be held at a gala night on 12 October 2017.

CSM-ACE 2017 aims to provide a platform for government agencies, academia, cyber security experts and industry professionals to discuss future security challenges and chart the way forward to battle cybercrimes.

This year’s CSM-ACE 17 is held in conjunction with National Innovation and Creative Economy (NICE) EXPO 2017.