The rise of cybercrime in Malaysia - what you need to avoid

Malaysia made international news recently when two local men along with five Chinese nationals were arrested for money laundering and cybercrime in the United States, hacking more than 100 companies globally.

While Malaysia’s crime index has reportedly dropped over the years, with an average of 11,000 fewer cases each consecutive year, cybercrime remains rampant with cyber-criminals taking advantage of new technologies and remote working platforms enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime is a criminal activity that uses technology mainly involving a computer and a network, either as a medium or a target.

That said, it can affect any online users, similarly how anyone with a working computer and access to internet can be cybercriminals too.

There are the various types of cybercrimes. Some examples include:

1. DDOS Attacks
2. Botnet
3. Identity Theft
4. Malware
5. Spoofing
6. Web defacement
7. Online harassment
8. Phishing scams

Cybercrime has also been reported to be a more lucrative crime than drug trafficking with more than 70 per cent of commercial crime cases now categorised as cybercrime.

According to the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF), the total losses recorded in regards to cybercrime for 2019 and 2020, were RM305 million and RM247 million, respectively.

How many cases are there in Malaysia?

Based on statistics by Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT), from January to September 2020 this year, there has already been 8,366 reported incidents of cybercrime.

According to Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, 5,697 incidents of cyber fraud were reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia for the period January to August this year as compared to 4,671 incidents for the same period last year, an increase of 22 per cent.

Cases have especially risen since the introduction of the Movement of Control Order (MCO) with a total of 3,906 complaints lodged to the Cyber999 Help Centre from March 18 to June 30, an increase of more than 90 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The reported cases involved cyberbullying, fraud, cyber intrusions, hacking attempts and spam, most of which occurred in urban areas with a high-speed Internet connection.

What are some of government’s initiatives to combat cybercrime?

Under the Ministry of Multimedia and Communications (MCMC), CyberSecurity Malaysia is established as a cyber security specialist agency to provide a broad range of services and strengthen Malaysia’s self-reliance in cyberspace.

The organisation assists enforcement agencies in cyber forensics and analysis, such as analysing evidence and providing expert witnesses for relevant cybercrime cases.

It also aims to establish a culture of security through awareness programmes and best practices among children, teenagers, parents and organisations.

Besides CyberSecurity Malaysia, there are also multiple sub-organisations and services provided to cater to Malaysia’s growing need for online security.

There also exist many cyberlaws and policies such as the Computer Crime Act 1997 and the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 that act as a safeguard against cyber-criminal activities in the country.

That said, with the rise in cybercrime cases, there is an urgent need for proactive steps to tackle the crime.

CyberSecurity Malaysia for example has highlighted the shortcoming of its agency in the lack of cyber security professionals. Hence, universities are urged to offer more courses and programmes to educate the public and create awareness on cyber security.

More recently, a proposal has also been submitted by the MCPF for the government to set up a committee consisting of the police, MCMC, Bank Negara, telecommunication companies and National Cyber Security Agency to discuss, monitor and identify effective actions to address issues of cybercrime.

How can we protect ourselves against cybercrime?

Since everyone is vulnerable to the threats of cybercrime, there are simple but proactive steps to avoid becoming victims of cybercrime such as:

1. Never give out personal data over the phone or via email unless you are completely sure the line or email is secure.
2. Do not open an attachment from a sender you do not know.
3. Do not click or download any links in spam emails or other messages from unidentified sources.
4. Check the authenticity of the organisations involved by calling the companies using the number on their official website.
5. Use strong passwords that people will not guess and do not record them anywhere.
6. Ensure that your antivirus software and operating system are up to date to protect your devices from the latest security threats.

Report any cyber incidents threats to Cyber999 Emergency Help Center at +6019-2665850 or visit their website for more information.