KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has intensified its monitoring of the communications and multimedia sector following the elevation of Malaysia’s national cyber threat level to medium, amid growing concerns over potential attacks on critical infrastructure.
The commission said it was working closely with the National Security Council, National Cyber Security Agency and other relevant authorities to monitor developments, exchange information and coordinate responses, as reported by The Star.
It had also stepped up engagement with industry players in telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and courier services, urging them to review their cybersecurity preparedness, identify vulnerabilities and strengthen preventive and detection measures.
MCMC said particular attention was being given to incident response, recovery arrangements and business continuity to minimise disruptions and maintain the resilience of essential services.
The heightened alert comes as cybersecurity experts warn that threats could extend beyond conventional digital infrastructure to equipment such as refrigeration systems used to store critical supplies.
Cybersecurity expert Murugason R. Thangaratnam cited a Nov 2 cyberattack targeting three plasma cold-storage facilities operated by the French Blood Establishment, where temperature and defrost settings were allegedly manipulated to extreme levels.
Similar incidents involving supermarket refrigeration systems had also been reported in Europe, resulting in chilled and frozen products being withdrawn from stores.
He said Malaysia should strengthen protection for critical infrastructure under the Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854), particularly by extending scrutiny to equipment suppliers and third-party contractors with remote access to essential systems.
He called for independent temperature monitoring at hospitals, vaccine storage facilities and pharmaceutical depots, alongside wider cybersecurity oversight and cross-sector emergency exercises.
Former Cybersecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said vigilance was necessary as disruptions to digital infrastructure could affect banking, telecommunications, electricity supply, healthcare and government services.
Such attacks could also expose personal and financial information, while creating opportunities for phishing, scams and identity theft, he said.
He advised Malaysians to enable multi-factor authentication for important accounts, use strong and unique passwords, preferably supported by password managers, and remain alert to misinformation during periods of heightened cyber or geopolitical tensions.
The warnings come amid recent cybersecurity incidents affecting the aviation sector.
On Nov 3, Singapore Airlines said about 46,000 booking records might have been affected by a breach involving its reservation technology provider, Amadeus.
Malaysia Airlines also disclosed that certain customer information processed through Amadeus between August 2023 and September 2026 could have been compromised.