SHAH ALAM, Nov 17 — Selangor logged a clear rise in cyber attacks with 25 cases this year compared with 18 last year and eight in 2023, said state executive councillor for Islam and innovation Dr Fahmi Ngah.
He added that the increase was expected as the state government diversifies its digital technology use.
“Among agencies targeted by the attacks were state government and local council websites, involving simple systems,” he said when met at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building here today.
He emphasised that the attacks did not compromise accounting systems or user data, and that the threats were of low sophistication.
Fahmi said the Selangor government has employed moves to improve cyber security, adding that threats are monitored daily by local authorities. He also said close federal-state government cooperation is important to ensure comprehensive security.
“The state government is aware of these threats and is preparing for future challenges. These attacks are merely tests of the existing systems and won’t affect administrative operations,” he said.
Earlier, Fahmi, in reply to Selat Klang assemblyman Abdul Rashid Asari’s question, said the State Secretariat has been appointed sectoral chief of the National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII).
The appointment was detailed in a letter signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dated January 28, in line with the Cyber Security Act 2024.
Fahmi explained that the Information Management Department of the State Secretariat is preparing a Cyber Security Code of Practice that will be employed by all departments and agencies to be designated as NCII entities.
He said several improvements are underway, including strengthening network and data centres with security technology and a layered backup system to ensure operational continuity and the protection of critical state government data.
Fahmi added that the state government is studying the need to integrate a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) to obtain information on global data threats more proactively and improve early warning abilities over the latest cyber attack tactics and techniques.
