CyberSecurity Malaysia sets up certification body
The Star (7 June 2012)

ISPA is open to those who are working in the cybersecurity field, as well as university students thinking of joining the profession, said CyberSecurity chief executive officer Lt Col (rtd) Prof Datuk Husin Jazri.

He said that one of the objectives of the newly formed assocation is to mentor IT security talents to fuel the cybersecurity industry. The demand for cybersecurity professionals has risen because the world is adopting a digital lifestyle. "In countries like the United States and Britain, cybersecurity professionals have no problems finding employment, even during a recession," Husin during a media briefing after launching the ISPA.

The association also plans to equip its members with the necessary professional certifications and to supplement their skills through knowledge enhancement programmes. "These qualifications will be based on existing ones, such as the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium Inc (ISCĀ²) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
"ISPA also plans to have its own accreditations based on these certifications. Perhaps we can achieve this in two years," Husin said.

He said these qualifications will help local information security professionals better protect the citizens from cyberthreats. One of the main cybersecurity issues in Malaysia is online fraud.
"The tools to commit these crimes are more plentiful now, which is why this scourge is becoming more prevalent. CyberSecurity's cyberthreat-reporting hotline chalked up 2,245 cases between January and May.

According to Husin, ISPA is the first and only association to support the development of information security in Malaysia, and will focus on the competency and capability development of IT professionals here. ISPA also plans to work with other organisations, including the National ICT Association (Pikom) and International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyberthreats (Impact). "We need this mix to better understand how the skills of information security professionals can be further improved and the kind of threats we are facing in cyberspace," said Husin.

The association has 124 registered members, with backgrounds in various industries and disciplines. Husin said he hopes to get the 2,700-plus information security professionals in the country to join ISPA. For more information on ISPA, point your web browser to www.ispa.my.