NACSA detects increase in cyber security incidents

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) of the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) has detected an increase in cyber security incidents in Malaysia up to February, with a similar trend recorded globally.

NACSA in a statement yesterday informed that the perpetrators are targeting highprofile and vulnerable websites, online systems, networks and applications belonging to private and government organisations in Malaysia.

According to the statement, agencies and organisations affected, particularly those from the National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII), have proactively reported these incidents to NACSA for coordination and monitoring purposes.

“Based on the analysis and pattern of attacks launched by the perpetrators, there has been an increase in attacks through stolen credentials such as usernames and passwords from victims’ devices that have been infected by ‘infostealer’ (information stealer) malware.

“This technique does not require a high level of technical understanding and skill because it relies on negligence and weaknesses in identity protection in the information technology environment,” read the statement. The statement said that NACSA had also issued advisories and warnings on Jan 26 and Feb 12 outlining precautionary measures to be implemented by government and private organisations.

It said NACSA, through the National Cyber Crisis Task Force’s first meeting of 2024 on Jan 29, had agreed to raise the country’s cyber threat level from low (green) to moderate (blue).