National security policy
6th January 2003 (Computimes)
By ROZANA SANI

THE Government is looking into establishing a national information and communications technology (ICT) policy that is expected to provide a comprehensive framework comprising measures that would secure information systems and networks within all sectors in the country.

According to sources, the effort - which is being spearheaded by agencies like the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) - is seen as necessary in establishing ICT security to prevent leaks and safeguard confidential data. It is understood that initiative will kick off soon with a six-month feasibility study that will be undertaken by selected consultant groups from a pool of candidates that have already been shortlisted.

Sources said the consultants engaged will be tasked to identify critical areas within all sectors in terms of ICT security. This is because the yet-to-be-formulated policy is expected to go beyond the ICT security framework for government agencies outlined in the Malaysian Public Sector Management of ICT Security Handbook (MyMIS) released by Mampu.

It is presumed that this would then address concerns that there may be security leaks that result from both physical and electronic interactions between government agencies and other bodies, especially those formerly in the public sector that have now been privatised.

As such, the consultants will be required to identify the necessary ICT security measures that should be applied to certain problem areas such as standards adoption, etc, and the appropriate bodies or authorities to oversee the ICT security adoption of each critical sector, the sources said.

MyMIS, which was released in January last year, provided members of the public sector with guidelines to benchmark their ICT security level.