Nation

Spike in cyber threats; fraud tops list

CYBERJAYA: A total of 7,765 incidents were reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia in the first eight months of this year, with fraud topping the list at 5,697 cases.

Chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said the regulatory body expects the number to surpass last year's record of 10,772 by year-end.

"Through our Cyber999 Help Centre, we found that the highest number of cases were recorded in April, which was during the Movement Control Order period. At that time, many people had to work from home and did their shopping online.

"Exposure to cybersecurity is a problem we have to deal with as we embrace the new norm post-Covid-19," he told the media after the HeiTech Padu Next-Generation Security Operation Centre as-a-Service (SOCaaS) launch here today.

Amirudin said besides fraud, incidences of intrusion -- also known as hacking -- ranked second during the period with 933 cases, followed by cyber harassment (409), and malicious codes (351).

Based on the current trend, the cases are expected to rise between 11,000 and 12,000, he said.

"Since most people are online these days, cybercriminals are trying to get money through scams or fraudulent schemes," added Amirudin. -- Bernama

Most Popular
Related Article
Says Stories