By Karen Bong and Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, May 19: Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has proposed to establish a Sarawak-based team of cyber experts to provide an intelligent layer of proactive defence against cyber threats and risks.
Abang Johari emphasised that this core “Cyber Team” may comprise a collaboration of local players with the required security expertise and technical linkups with global cybersecurity technologies and providers.
“Currently, countries and organisations are competing for cyber talent by paying more to the small pool of people. The global cyber talent shortage is creating a high turnover of cybersecurity experts.
“This core Cyber Team can centrally provide managed security services, ensuring that cybersecurity measures are easily accessible and affordable to both public and private sectors within the State,” he said when addressing the Asia Pacific Cybersecurity Conference 2023 gala dinner at a hotel here tonight.
By adopting a shared services model, Abang Johari said Sarawak can pool rare resources and skills, thereby enabling critical cybersecurity services to be more widely available.
This approach, he added, will particularly benefit smaller organisations and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that face challenges in investing and setting up in-house cybersecurity defense systems.
With unpredictable cyberattacks, Abang Johari stressed that the need for a robust cybersecurity infrastructure becomes increasingly evident.
“The managed security services, staffed by skilled individuals equipped with proactive cybersecurity intelligence and analysis, will significantly enhance existing local security operations.
“We also need to build a security culture across Sarawak with cyber awareness about cyberattacks, an understanding of cyber risks and personal responsibility in managing them,” he added.
Federal Minister of Communications and Digital Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil, Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Utility and Telecommunications Datuk Julaihi Narawi, and Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Mazuki were among those present. — DayakDaily
