Kaspersky and UM join hands to develop Malaysia’s cybersecurity talent

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Global cybersecurity company Kaspersky and Universiti Malaya (UM) will be working together to develop Malaysia’s cybersecurity capabilities.

The agreement involves developing content for educational programmes and activities centred on raising cybersecurity awareness through knowledge exchange and mutual consultations. It also aims to build cybersecurity talent in Malaysia.

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The partnership forms part of Kaspersky’s ongoing efforts to develop cybersecurity skills and knowledge with universities and academic institutions across the globe. UM was ranked as Malaysia’s top university in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2024. It also recently launched its Masters of Cyber Security programme.

In August 2023, Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital highlighted a shortage of experts in the cybersecurity segments, with only 15,248 workers identified in the country. This figure falls short of the projected demand for 27,000 cybersecurity knowledge workers by end 2025, based on a study by Cybersecurity Malaysia.

“We are excited to partner with UM to further boost the quality of cybersecurity education and research in Malaysia,” said Adrian Hia, managing director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky. With cybercriminals and cyberthreats becoming more sophisticated and targeted, it becomes more imperative to have highly skilled security professionals to combat the threats, he added.

“We are really eager to work with UM to have more well-trained, local cybersecurity experts to help defend Malaysia’s ever-evolving digital economy.”

Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Mohd Hamdi Abd. Shukor, vice-chancellor of UM, similarly said, “In today’s digital age, the significance of privacy and security cannot be overstated.”

He highlighted the surging demand for experts to guard against cyber threats in Malaysia.

“Through our collaboration between UM and Kaspersky, I am confident that the Cybersecurity programme at UM will shape future cybersecurity leaders, highlighting the allure and importance of this profession,” he added.

In June 2023, Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) revealed that its New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP2030) was being drafted to advance the nation’s economic complexity. In particular, it highlighted accelerating the technology shift to Industry 4.0 as a key focus. With such emphasis placed on digital technology, Kaspersky and UM’s collaboration is timely in meeting the growing need for cybersecurity talent and capabilities in the country.

Other initiatives have also been made towards boosting cybersecurity. For example, in September 2023, Axiata Group and CyberSecurity Malaysia were finalising an MoU to build a trusted digital tech ecosystem that could protect and support the country’s digital economy.

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