Emergence of various gadgets gives rise to wider cyber crimes

MALACCA: The emergence of various types of gadgets and other amazing digital communication tools is feared to give rise to wider occurrence of cyber criminal activities, said Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Malacca (UTeM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Shahrin Sahib.

The National Professor Council's deputy head of Information and Technology Cluster said the increasing number of gadgets introduced would increase cyber criminals including hackers taking advantage of the weak security devise systems.

"Threats of cyber crime these days are not confined to fraud, forgery, extortion, sedition and defamation but also include hacking, virus spreading and attacks on key national institutions such as banks, businesses and government agencies.

"The development and availability of gadgets are most welcomed nowadays as it shows information technology is expanding but it must be emphasized that security systems should be strengthened to combat cyber crimes," he said in an email to Bernama here.

He, therefore, proposed that an integrated and comprehensive security system be established by every organisation in the country by developing an information security policy.
Shahrin said that the mechanism should integrate all existing cyber security elements including firewall, network devices and intrusion tracking systems to detect and in turn prevent the occurrence of computer systems invasion activities.

"Information security policy is important in preserving and protecting all information in the database, thereby ensuring a safe digital environment," he said.

He said UTeM was willing to share its technology and information expertise with all parties, particularly in the fight against cyber crimes in the country through cooperation in the field of research and development.

"UTeM encourages research and creation of products related to information technology to improve efficiency in information communication systems in this country," he said. – Bernama