Malaysian companies urged to give cyber security priority
The Malaysian Reserve (9 Nov 2012)

The government wants Malaysian companies to make full use of available funding to develop intellectual property and new cutting-edge technology, especially in cyber security.

Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusuf said companies should also invest in providing a secure and safe environment for their businesses so they can operate without disruption and losses.

"To address evolving threats and increased risks in cyberspace, the internal processes of an organisation must also be secured by embracing a culture of security using international best practices," Fadillah said at the CyberSecurity Malaysia-Award, Conference and Exhibition (CSMACE) 2012 in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

He said companies need to focus on training and education programmes that can enhance the competencies of Malaysia's cyber security professionals.

At the awards, Lembaga Tabung Haji, which has just implemented a RM20 million server virtualisation security project to protect its internal security, won one of the coveted Information Security Organisation of the Year Award.

HeiTech Padu Bhd also won an Information Security of the Year Award for its information security governance and information security spending.

"HeiTech has thus far invested RM40 million in upgrading our information and communication technology infrastructure to support the current and future challenges," said HeiTech executive director Safiee Mohammad.

The awards were created to recognise organisations and individuals that have contributed significantly to Malaysia's cyber and information security industry.

CyberSecurity Malaysia is an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.