Malaysia is home to some of the world’s most notorious cybercriminals.
The country has been embroiled in a bitter war between the nation’s cybercrime experts and their own cyberpolice over the past few years.
But with the threat of cyberattacks on its computer networks increasing and the country’s government in crisis, a cyberpolice unit has been set up to investigate suspected cyberattacks and protect its own networks.
Malaysia has been the first country to declare a state of emergency, which allows authorities to impose sweeping measures on the internet, such as restricting access to certain websites, or imposing new restrictions on the use of mobile phones.
The cyberpolice group, called the Cyber Crime Enforcement Agency (CCEA), has been given the task of investigating cybercrimes.
“The Cyber Crime Force is an integral part of the cyberpolice,” said CCEA Chief Officer Abdul Rahim Ali Khan, who was named by the Malaysian government as the countrys cybercrime chief in January.
The Cybercrime Force, which has been tasked with investigating cybercrime cases, is also part of Malaysia’s anti-cybercrime government.
The Government has launched an investigation into the CCEE, and the government has promised to appoint a new cyberpolice chief to oversee the bureau’s investigation.
The CCEEA, which is expected to be operational by December, has already arrested some of its top officers, including a senior cybercrime investigator, who will serve until 2021.
The new cybercrime unit will be charged with investigating, convicting and punishing cybercrimers and ensuring that cybercrime incidents are effectively contained and deterred.
The police have also started working on an online form for people to submit complaints against cybercrimbers, and will work with the Cybercrime Research Institute, a Malaysian think tank, to conduct research into cybercrime and its causes.
Malay officials say the cybercrime threat has increased in the wake of the recent attacks on South Korea and the United States, and that they expect cybercrime to become more widespread in the future.
“The cybercrime environment in Malaysia is extremely dangerous,” Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman told reporters in Malaysia in October.
“We are very worried about the threat to our national security and are working very closely with the international community to fight this.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also pledged to increase the number of cybercrime officers in the country, which currently has fewer than 50.
The new unit will also include a new national cybercrime bureau, which will focus on investigating cyberattacks.
Malayan cybercrime expert Datuk Ahmad Hidayat, who has worked with CCEAE and the Cyber Security Research Institute in Kuala Lumpur, said the cyberforce unit will have the capability to quickly deploy cybercrime investigators, and investigate suspected breaches and attacks in a timely fashion.
“We can quickly deploy a cybercrime team to detect cybercrime in a matter of seconds,” he told Reuters news agency.
Malones Cybercrime Investigation Unit director Datuk Nizamuddin said the Cyber Police Force will also have the ability to conduct cross-border cybercrime investigations.
“This will help us to investigate incidents of cybercrushing and other cyberattacks in Malaysia, and ensure that the Malaysian cybercrime industry is protected,” he said.
“Our goal is to help our companies to fight cybercrime on the ground,” said Datuk Hidayata, who did not provide the names of any officers involved in the cyberinvestigation.
