JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysia receives more than 3,000 cyber attacks each day, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
He said the threats to the country are no only physical but also come in the form of cyber attacks.
"There are more than 3,000 incidences of cyber attacks against us every day.
"If they manage to hack into our system, they can spy, listen into and monitor our movements, especially involving the armed forces and the like.
"These attacks and threats come from various quarters. Who are they? We don't have to elaborate on that.
"I would, however, like to stress upon how our armed forces personnel work 24 hours a day, seven days a week without leave to protect the country's sovereignty and prevent it from being breached, both physically and in cyberspace," he said.
Khaled was speaking to reporters after visiting the Blok Rumah Keluarga Angkat Tentera (RKAT) Desa and Lapang Sasar Pusat Latihan Tempur Tentera Darat (PULADA), here today.
Also present were Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, and Deputy Army chief, Lieutenant-General Datuk Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim.
The minister was asked to comment on the concerns by the public following the arrest of an Israeli man, suspected of being a spy, who was also found with six guns and 200 rounds of ammunition.
He was arrested on Wed after using a French passport, suspected to be forged, to enter the country via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
At the same time, Khaled, who is also Kota Tinggi member of parliament, congratulated the police over the arrest.
He said this proved that threats to the country are constant and requires proactive action daily.
"In this context, this is why we hope that the people would appreciate the efforts by the police, army and other bodies.
"They work tirelessly to man our borders, prevent the entry of illegal immigrants, stop smuggling of illicit good as well as uphold the country's sovereignty, both physically and in cyberspace.
"This is all the more important as the culprits are now armed with the latest technology such as drones to penetrate our defence systems," he said.