Awareness leads to more reports on cyber security-related cases
29 July 2009 (The Star)

KUCHING: Cases of cyber security-related issues reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia increased by 145% in the first six months of 2009 over the same period last year, due to rising awareness of criminal tactics and cyber threats among the public.

Deputy Science, Techology and Innovation Minister Fadillah Yusof said 1,585 cases, including denial of service attacks, fraud and forgery, vulnerability probing, harassment, indecent content, malicious hacking and indecent exposure, were received by the agency between January and June this year.

CyberSecurity Malaysia is a one-stop specialist centre for cyber security issues under the purview of the ministry.

"Incidences of even well-educated professionals falling into the trap of fraudulent transactions, personal relationships or get-rich-quick schemes are some of those reported, especially since the recent launching of the Cyber999 Help Centre," Fadillah told reporters on the sidelines of a public awareness talk, "Building a Culture of Cyber Security", here, Wednesday.

He said the ministry’s special task force on combating cyber crime, chaired by himself, would put forward recommendations to the Government upon the completion of a study on loopholes in the existing law.

With the development of cyber activities, he said, there was a need to review the law in terms of enforcement to identify cyber criminals in a borderless world.

"As such, the study will also gather input from members of the public, legal practitioners and non-governmental organisations," he added.-Bernama