Niser to play bigger cybersecurity role

27.07.2006 |KUAlA LUMPUR: The National IeT Security and Emergency Response Centre (Niser) is being reorganised and renamed as the National Cyber Security Centre. Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr jamaludin Mohamad jarjis said the transition was taking place "effective immediately."

The National Cyber Security Centre would enhance coordination, implementation and information sharing between relevant government agencies, he said.It would also gear the country towards a more secure cyberspace by synchronising efforts by all parties involved in cybersecurity.The new centre would not only be involved in making policy but also in training the private and community sectors, he added.

Niser (www.niser.org.my) currently concentrates on monitoring and responding to cybersecurity threats to the nation.Tile move to expand its scope follows the Cabinet's announcement on Sept 28 last year that Niser was to be separated from Mimos Bhd, under whose aegis it had been established In 1997 as the Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team, and made an agency of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.Jamaludin and Niser director Lt Kol(R) Husin Jazri said the details of the Niser reorganisation and transition to the National Cyber SecurityCentre have yet to be worked out.

"We'll need another month or two to work out the details,"Jamaludin said. The time would be needed to come up with an infrastructure and capacity plan for the new organisation in line with its expanded responsibilities, he said.The National Cyber Security Centre will' complement Impact (International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Terrorism), an initiative which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced at the World Congress be IT in Austin, Texas in May.Impact would be an international collaboration between national agencies, while the National-Cyber Security Centre would be responsible for monitoring cybersecurity in Malaysia.

"At the national level, the Government categorises cyberthreats as a national concern. Malaysia, as a multiracial, multicultural and multireligious nation also needs to confront the vulnerability of its social integration to Internet-based attacks which could damage the social political and cultural fabric of our nation," Jamaludin said in explaining the move.

As for Impact, Jamaludin said he and Minister of Energy; Water and Communications Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik would work together to promote it to the international community.Lim is expected to give 'a presentation on Impact to an Asean ministers meeting "sometime this year," jamaludin said. His own efforts would complement those of Dr Lim, he added. Jamaludin said these efforts would help enhance Malaysia's position as an information hub to help the world combat cyberterrorism. .

"Impact will share its information on cybersecurity and cyberthreats with other national agencies responsible for their respective country's e-security," he said. He was speaking at the launch of the SecureMalaysia 2006 conference and exhibition, organised by'the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium Inc and Niser.

The event was held in conjunction with CardExAsia 2006, a card technology conference and exhibition, and RFIDexpoAsia.The three events, aimed at professional audiences working in ICT (information and communications technology) security, smartcard technology applications, and radio frequency identification technology, were held concurrently at the Putra World Trade Centre this week.