PM: Don’t ignore cyber threats
The Star
Wednesday May 21, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: Increasingly wired countries must work together to develop effective shields against cyber attacks or risk major disruptions to their people’s lives.
If societies and governments ignore cyber threats, it could lead to catastrophic consequences, warned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“Ironically, the more wired a country is, the more vulnerable it is to massive harm,??? he said in his keynote address at the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Terrorism (Impact) World Cyber Security Summit 2008 here yesterday.
He cited Estonia as an example where the small but highly wired country was hit in April last year by three weeks of cyber attacks from outside the country which shut down the country’s water treatment plant, disrupted its banking system and attacked government agencies.
There was no warning or explanation, he added.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia established Impact aimed at being a pioneer platform that allowed governments of the world to exchange experiences and ideas, as well as to facilitate the sharing of skills and best practices to safeguard cyber space.
“We recognise that some of the best skills and cutting edge technology in the area of cyber security reside outside government’s hand, within the private sector, leading research organisations and academia.
“In order for the Government to effectively deal with this complex and constantly evolving treat, it is only natural that the private sector, researchers and academia be made partners in this initiative,??? Abdullah said.
Currently, Impact partners include well-known companies, which are working against cyber threats, such as FSecure, Kaspersky Labs, Symantec Corporation and Trend Micro.
As proof of Malaysia’s commitment, the Government has approved a US$13mil (RM42mil) to kick off Impat.
More than half of this initial funding will be used to build Impact’s secretariat in Cyberjaya that is being fast-tracked for completion before the end of the year.
Core activities of this secretariat will include global response, policy, regulatory framework and international cooperation, training and skill development and security certification, and research and development.
(Extracted from the Star Online)