Vigilante Hacktivist Group Anonymous Malaysia Warns Govt To Tighten Cybersecurity
The National Security Council (NSC) has announced that they will be taking the threat seriously.
By May Vin Ang — 26 Jan 2021, 06:33 PM
Hacktivist group Anonymous Malaysia has returned after more than five years of silence to warn the Malaysian government to tighten up its cybersecurity
In a video released on social media on Monday, 25 January, the vigilante cyberactivist group said it is sending a "wake-up call for the government of Malaysia".
The two-minute video features a man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask - the face of the global Anonymous movement notorious for its cyberattacks on governments worldwide - reading from a piece of paper.
"Your security system is low, all data may be leak. This can cause unwanted hacker selling all information [sic]," it said in the video, captioned with the hashtag #OpsWakeUp21.
The group said the government has been irresponsibly allowing data leaks and sales of people's personal information to go on over the past few years.
It cited the widespread telco data leak in 2017 that involved around 46 million mobile numbers, as well as the rise of scam cases, and the recent cyberattack on the Malaysian Armed Forces' (MAF) network last month.
In its speech, Anonymous Malaysia accused the government of failing to educate people or advance its own cybersecurity skills
The group blamed the government's system developers for being unwilling to recognise and learn from their mistakes.
"It had been a long time, we are silent. It's time open your eyes [sic]. We are legion, we do not forgive, we do not forget, expect us," it said.
Anonymous Malaysia has previously made cyberattack threats towards the government, however, it did not specify what action it will take this time.
The group's first and only successful attack occurred in 2011, when it managed to take down 91 governmental sites for eight hours after Putrajaya banned torrent search engine websites.
The National Security Council (NSC) has announced that they will be taking the threat seriously
In a statement released today, 26 January, the NSC and the Prime Minister's Department, through the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), have issued a warning to all government agencies to take necessary precautions to prevent and minimise the impact of a possible cyberattack.
NSC said they are working closely with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to coordinate the next course of action.
They also stated that the Malaysian government has always prioritised the security of the government's information technology (IT) infrastructure, including improving the IT knowledge and skills of officers in government sectors as outlined in the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS).
