Building a cyber-ready workforce for Malaysia's digital economy

THE Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP) includes plans to strengthen the digital economy, that will be met with much relief by Malaysian businesses. Many have begun to migrate their processes online and accelerate digital transformation in the last two years. However, progress has been impeded by cyber-attacks and breaches have also increased exponentially. More than 5.5 million malware and botnet infections were reported in 2020, which is a 60 percent increase compared to 3.2 million recorded in 2019.

With the evolving threat landscape, 12MP needs to commit to improve cybersecurity posture in the public and private sector by investing in digital infrastructure, enabling knowledge transfer to citizens about cybersecurity hygiene, and grooming the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. As a global leader in cybersecurity, Fortinet is contributing towards achieving national goals by helping businesses build reliable, secure and resilient digital infrastructure, creating more job opportunities for Malaysians, as well as boosting the talent pipeline to address the growing digital skills gap.

Public-private collaboration is also essential for Malaysia to build its capabilities in the digital economy. Fortinet has since deepened its involvement in Malaysia through exchanging and sharing threat information with local cyber threat intelligence authorities such as Cybersecurity Malaysia (CSM) on top of protecting and supporting businesses in their digital transformation journey.

Investing in human capital

Malaysia needs many more cybersecurity professionals to protect the digital economy. Fortinet believes that the key is to target youths and mid-career professionals looking to switch to cybersecurity. With a corporate goal to develop a million cybersecurity professionals, Fortinet has rolled out training to students and IT professionals through partnerships with educational institutions. Recently, Fortinet signed an agreement with Multimedia University (MMU), one of Malaysia’s top private technology universities, to provide its IT students with industry-recognized cybersecurity training and certifications. Around 400 MMU students are expected to benefit from the program in the first academic year of the partnership. Universiti Malaysia Perlis and Universiti Teknologi Petronas have also incorporated Fortinet’s Security Academy Program as part of their cybersecurity curriculum.

In addition, Fortinet is committed to investing in Malaysia and generating more employment opportunities for Malaysians. In 2004, Fortinet established its Research and Development (R&D) base in Malaysia and employs all-Malaysian local talents in its growing team of cybersecurity engineers. Also, Fortinet’s regional technical support center for Asia Pacific is based in Kuala Lumpur and employs a team of over 90% Malaysians. Fortinet plans to increase staff strength, with a projected 25% - 30% headcount growth to give better services and support to organizations deploying Fortinet’s cybersecurity technology. Fortinet’s contribution to knowledge-sharing is alive and well, which affirms that the company's commitment aligns with the country's focus to accelerate the digital economy.

To become a globally competitive digital nation, economic empowerment should be anchored on inclusivity and shared prosperity. Technology holds tremendous power to steer the economy in the right direction, enable the citizens to participate in the digital economy and achieve meaningful, inclusive socioeconomic growth in a post-COVID world. As policymakers in Malaysia gather to discuss the next steps that will determine the future of the country, it is imperative for the government to look at the opportunities presented by the current business and societal environment to promote widespread digital readiness and cyber security awareness. With 12MP aiming to leverage digital technologies, molding citizens to be future-ready will serve as a critical factor that will determine the country's success in the years to come.

---

* Alex Loh is the Country Manager for Fortinet Malaysia

**The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.