Malaysia still lacks around 12,000 cyber security experts in various fields to tackle cyber attacks, which is one of the challenges faced by the government in its national digitalisation agenda.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the country requires around 27,000 cybersecurity experts but currently has only 15,000 to help tackle the issue.
“This is a huge gap when we understand the need for cyber security and companies, especially those in the digital economy, really prioritise cyber security, and there will be an urgency to set up their own cyber security units.
“Every company, depending on size, might need between 20 to 30 people, and if we look at the small and medium enterprises as an example, there really is a need,” he said.
He said there is an understanding that his ministry, through CyberSecurity Malaysia, has several initiatives to implement to shore up the industry against cyber attacks.
“The matter can be overcome with the cooperation of public and private institutions of higher learning as well as by bringing in foreign experts.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did state in the Budget that there are some incentives to bring Malaysians back through TalentCorp and also foreigners who can serve in Malaysia, along with other incentives,” he added.
Fahmi said that his ministry had not set any target or timeframe to fulfil the need for cybersecurity experts as the industry was developing at a very fast rate.
“There’s no estimated time, but as this sector is developing rapidly, the number (of cyber security experts) will change yearly. When there are more companies set up, then there will be a need, so I foresee that the number will be dynamic the next year, maybe bigger,” he said
