Malware centre to launch Dec 1
26 November 2009 (The Star)

SERI KEMBANGAN: Malaysia is about to have its own Government-run malware research centre under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti).

CyberSecurity Malaysia, an agency under Mosti, has announced that it is ready to begin full malware detection and warning operations on Dec 1.

"We are launching our research centre to help promote computer security in Malaysia given that the threat of malware has social, financial and even emotional repercussions," said CEO of CyberSecurity Malaysia Lt Col Husin Bin Jazri (retired).

"This, along with our Cyber999 Help Centre, will go a long way in making the Internet a safer place for 16.5 million Malaysians who are now online."

The centre is designed to research more effective techniques to detect and mitigate the threat of Internet malware, especially those relating to identity theft and bank account theft.

"In October alone, CyberSecurities handled more than 87,000 unique IP addresses that were reported to be infected with malware," said Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry deputy minister Tuan Haji Fadillah Bin Yusof.

"We must take responsibility for our fundamental right to Internet access by being better informed of the dangers and having the best tools to deal with them."

Jazri explained that the Malaysia Computer Emergency Security Team (MyCERT), a division of CyberSecurities Malaysia, has a mailing list warning system when the spread of malicious programs is detected.

"We e-mail all those on our Cyber999 Help Centre mailing list and if the virus continues to spread, we contact the media," said Jazri.

"We also receive information from about 71 countries and consult with engineers from the private sector so that we have all the information available to us."

MyCERT is the Malaysian chapter of the international computer security alliance known as CERT which cooperates to share information and coordinate responses to malware.

CyberSecurities Malaysia is launching the malware centre in conjunction with World Computer Security Day which falls on Nov 30.