Cybersecurity commissions are good, but they don’t solve everything, expert says

Petaling Jaya: An expert welcomes the government’s plan to create a cybersecurity commission, but reminds Putrajaya that the establishment of a body alone will not solve all cybersecurity problems. .

Murugason Thangaratnam, CEO of cybersecurity firm NovemCS, said the commission needed a joint public-private partnership, urging all companies in the country to deliberately address cyber risks. He added that there is

This includes large companies, small businesses, various levels of government, educational institutions, and individuals.

“They must be prepared to understand the role they play in security and how their actions directly impact the nation’s cybersecurity,” Murgason told FMT. rice field.

For the proposed commission to be truly effective, it would need to hold public hearings and focus attention on areas such as critical infrastructure and the Internet of Things (IoT), he said.

Prakash Christiansen, CEO of Vulsan X Corp, said there are currently silos across all industries when it comes to cybersecurity, which hinders an integrated approach to the problem.

Prakash said it is important that all industry players and experts have their say in order to increase the effectiveness of the proposed commission. This ensures that there are no discrepancies.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fazil said on Tuesday that a Malaysian Cyber ​​Security Commission will be established as part of efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s cyber security.

Fahmi said the ministry will work with relevant agencies such as CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) to set up the commission.

Murgason said it was timely because the agency tasked with safeguarding the nation’s cyberspace is currently only responding to the issue rather than approaching it from a risk management perspective. I was.

Prakash said the government’s priority should be to follow appropriate guidelines to protect Malaysians and businesses as the security threat landscape is changing daily.

“For individuals, governments should have software or systems in place to protect their technology gadgets. For businesses, breach assessments are needed to understand current risk factors and where they stand against cyber risk,” he said. Told.

He also said that more agencies monitoring cybersecurity would be a good thing, and that the CSM, with its comprehensive experience and infrastructure, could help ensure compliance.