Nacsa records 5,110 cybersecurity incidents in first nine months

The National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) recorded 5,110 cybersecurity incidents from January to September, a decrease from the full-year total of 5,837 incidents. Nacsa chief Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin explained that last year's higher figure was mainly due to early detection of intrusion attempts and potential attacks. In October and November, the NC4 agency issued nine alerts and advisories regarding security vulnerabilities affecting critical information infrastructure and government agencies.

Not all cybersecurity incidents have the same impact, and Nacsa prioritizes those that could disrupt essential services. A ransomware attack on Malaysia Airports Holdings in March caused over 10 hours of disruption at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The viral Live Map & Ranking placed Malaysia among the countries with the highest number of cyber attacks, but this figure is based on monitoring through specific security products and platforms, not an overall assessment.

Malaysia is a significant data center hub, meaning a large amount of international traffic passes through the country. The Global Cybersecurity Index lists Malaysia in Tier 1, and the country is preparing for Post-Quantum Cryptography implementation. Individuals face cyber threats through hacked social media, email, and online banking accounts.

The public should understand the differences between hacking and scams and take appropriate action if compromised. For hacked accounts, users should change passwords, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and report the issue to the relevant platform. Scam victims should contact their banks and the National Scam Response Centre (997).