Cyberwar in 2022: What Malaysians Need to Know?

The ICT industry in Malaysia is booming, yet the nation is as vulnerable as any other in the online frontier of global war. 

The government’s foreign policy may have put the nation in the crosshairs of online attackers, so how can Malaysians keep themselves safe?

In the run-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there was plenty of talk of global cyberwarfare. Nearly five months after the war in Ukraine began, we’re going to look at:

• How the war has played out in the online arena.
• How Malaysia fits into the global cyberwar.
• What you can do to protect your personal and work devices in uncertain times.

How has global cyberwar changed in 2022?

For years, there have been reports of hacks and counter hacks between world superpowers and their nemeses. Many will remember the hacking of Sony by North Korean actors in retaliation for a movie about their leader, for example. 

At the end of 2021 and the start of 2022, Western government agencies saw an uptick in hacks. Some notable examples include:

• An FBI vendor communication system was hacked in November 2021.
• Australian energy companies were hacked by a Russian group in December 2021.
• The Canadian Foreign Ministry was attacked the same day it spoke out against Russian aggression.

There seems to have been a clear link between the real-world invasion plans by Russian and online activity against its critics. 

However, predictions about an influx of attacks against the global West haven’t yet materialised. Attacks from Russia have been centred on Ukraine, its government, and infrastructure, with allies being left unscathed – so far. 

In the wider world, the heads of the FBI and MI5 in the UK have been warning about the cyber threat posed by China. The economic war is very real, they warned, with Chinese actors seeking business secrets to gain a commercial advantage. 

With a muddied stance on the Ukrainian war and its own internal cyberattackers, where does Malaysia fit into this global picture?

How is Malaysia affected by the global cyberwar?

The Malaysian government hasn’t had a comprehensive policy on the invasion of Ukraine. Although it did vote to condemn the war at the UN, it has also discussed the possibility of selling semi-conductors to Putin’s regime.

This could bring the government into the firing line of hacktivist groups such as Anonymous, who unilaterally declared war on Russia. Malaysians already seem to have fallen victim to the online information war, with online discourse in the country slanted to Russia as an “anti-imperialist” force, even when empire-building in Ukraine. 

In economic terms, Malaysian citizens are on the front line. In the three years to 2021, Malaysians lost RM1.6 billion to online scams. The two biggest attack vectors were fraudulent online sales and fake loans – people are losing cash online and quickly. 

Indeed, 1.14 percent of all cybercrime in the world attacks Malaysian people and businesses, yet it has only 0.42 percent of the global population. Around two-thirds of Malaysian businesses believe they will experience a data breach at some point in 2022, showing there is a real threat and little confidence in tackling it. 

On the other side of the coin, Malaysia is linked to a hacktivist group called DragonForce. The collective came to prominence orchestrating DDoS attacks against Israel when talk of reopening diplomatic ties with Southeast Asian countries was mooted in July 2021.

It has more recently made the news by attacking Indian websites in retaliation to the ruling BJP party’s Hindu nationalist agenda. 

The organisation’s agenda so far has been to attack countries perceived as anti-Islam. Whether they will turn their attention closer to home and make attacks against Malaysian entities is yet to be seen. 

How can Malaysians protect themselves in the age of global cyberwar?

There seems to be a lot to be concerned about, but the average Malaysian citizen or small business owner can still protect themselves. 

Here are our top tips to keep attackers away from your devices:

• Use a VPN for PCs and phones on all your devices – this will keep your location and browsing activity private. 
• Keep your devices and apps up to date – software companies regularly release patches if a security vulnerability is found.
• Remain skeptical on the internet – the age-old adage applies; if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Use antivirus and antimalware tools – they’re designed to stop a threat if all other steps fail.

Taking care of cybersecurity as a Malaysian

The global perspective on cyberwar can seem frightening. Global players are trying to hurt systems and economies and this can seem rather abstract. 

As an individual, you can still be aware of the issues and play your part to keep safe. When you keep your devices secure, you know your data won’t be compromised and you give hackers fewer opportunities to attack. 

Pokdepinion: Cybersecurity is no joke and we are approaching times where self due-diligence is becoming more important than ever. Stay safe.