MDEC, Axiata ink MoU to boost cybersecurity industry

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Axiata Group Bhd (Axiata) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further boost the nation’s cybersecurity industry by strengthening both talent development as well as future-proofing innovation.

In a joint statement, they said the MoU, signed on July 18, would facilitate critical skills set in cybersecurity as well as the growth of cybersecurity innovation for the telecommunications industry.

They also said the publicprivate partnership would benefit higher learning institutions, the start-ups community and government agencies.

“Strengthening the cybersecurity industry is crucial for future-proofing Malaysia’s digital economy. It is interesting to note that Malaysia is one of the top three Asean countries expected to contribute or make up 75 per cent of the cybersecurity services market share by 2025.

“Undoubtedly, there is a huge opportunity to capture a significant portion of the export market across Asean which is expected to be worth RM10 billion by 2021,” said MDEC’s chief operating officer, Datuk Ng Wan Peng.

She added that Axiata’s 350 million customers would be a good test bed to future-proof cybersecurity innovation.

Meanwhile, Axiata’s president and group chief executive officer, Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim said the MoU reiterated the company’s commitment to work with MDEC to drive transformation of the country into a world leader in cybersecurity and digital resiliency.

“Axiata will leverage on our regional knowledge-pool of experts, technologists and innovators to impact national policies, build capacity, develop local talent, share solutions, exchange information and build on experiences to make a meaningful difference in our markets,” he added.