Five government agencies and nine private companies experienced disruptions due to a global IT outage on July 19, according to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
The affected government agencies include the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, National Institute of Health, and the Kedah Zakat Board. Private sector entities impacted spanned aviation, banking, and healthcare.
Gobind assured that all government data remained secure with no incidents of data leakage or integrity issues reported during the outage. However, he noted a phishing attempt during the disruption, which was promptly thwarted by authorities. Several phishing domains were identified, aimed at accessing sensitive information from specific companies.
In response to the incident, Gobind said he held discussions with Microsoft and CrowdStrike, emphasising the need for enhanced security measures.
Microsoft is preparing a comprehensive report on the outage and assessing claims of losses from affected Malaysian companies.
The disruption, attributed to a flaw in CrowdStrike’s update software affecting Microsoft operating systems, was clarified by Gobind as not a cyber-attack but a technical issue.
Gobind outlined measures to prevent future incidents, including stricter testing protocols for software updates, regular review and updates of software plans, and the development of a robust incident response plan and communication strategy.
The incident underscores the importance of effective governance in digital platform management, prompting initiatives such as the Cybersecurity Act 2024 and amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 to bolster Malaysia’s digital security framework.
