Better digital literacy needed to combat cyber threats - deputy minister

The public must improve their digital literacy as the first line of defence against increasingly complex cyber threats, including online scams, malware, and the misuse of artificial intelligence technology, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.

She said public awareness and the ability to identify digital threats were crucial, as the government or authorities could not screen every message sent through communication applications such as WhatsApp.

Teo said technological advancements had also created new opportunities for cybercriminals to deceive users, including spreading malware through files that appear to be from people they know.

“For example, malware is now being widely distributed through ZIP files. You may receive such a file from a friend via WhatsApp and be asked to open it on your computer.

“Once the file is opened, data on your computer can be stolen, and perhaps two weeks later, your WhatsApp account will be hacked before the same file is sent to all your contacts,” she said in an exclusive interview with Bernama recently.

Teo, who is Kulai MP, said the situation highlighted the major challenges in curbing cybercrime, as the government could not rely entirely on monitoring or enforcement mechanisms.

“We cannot possibly ask the MCMC to screen every WhatsApp message before it is sent to ensure that it does not contain malware, scam messages, or false information,” she said.

She said that based on online scam complaint statistics, e-commerce scams recorded the highest number of complaints, while investment scams caused the greatest financial losses to victims.

In this regard, Teo reminded users to be vigilant with suspicious content or links and make it a habit to verify the authenticity of information before believing or sharing it with others.

She also reiterated her call for companies and organisations to take cybersecurity seriously by conducting regular security audits, particularly when upgrading systems or adopting new technologies.

“I think we may not have realised how important it is to conduct cybersecurity audits all this while. The time has come for individuals and companies to ensure that sufficient investments are also made in cybersecurity,” she said.

Teo added that national cybersecurity matters are the National Cyber Security Agency’s responsibility, while MCMC can provide assistance and technical support when needed.

- Bernama

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