Malaysia still lacks about 12,000 cyber security experts in various fields to deal with the issue of cyber-attacks according to Minister of Communications and Digital, Fahmi Fadzil,
According to him, Malaysia needs about 27,000 cyber security experts but currently only has 15,000 people to deal with the issue.
“This is a huge gap when we understand the need for cyber security and companies, especially those in the digital economy, they 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 explained.
Meanwhile, he said that 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,” he added.
“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.”
Fahmi said that his ministry has not set any target or timeframe to fulfil the need for cyber security 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 stated.
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Also read: Fahmi Fadzil: Almost 2 Billion Suspicious Calls & 581 Million SMS Successfully Blocked
