KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government’s information communication technology company aims to become the state’s centre of excellence for cybersecurity.
Sabah Net Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Mohamed Razali Mohamed Razi said that by gaining necessary skillsets, the company could create more cybersecurity professionals and job opportunities in Sabah.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he added that the technology has bloomed for the past two years.
He said it was reported that cybercrime rose by 600 per cent due to the pandemic.
By 2025, worldwide cybercrime is estimated to cost USD$10.5 trillion (RM46.47 trillion) annually, whereas the global annual cost of cybercrime is estimated to be USD$6 trillion (RM26.55 trillion) per year.
In Malaysia, the Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team or MyCERT reported 10,016 cybersecurity related cases last year. As for this year, up to May, there were 3,057 cases.
“Based on the exorbitant estimated cost, it cannot be denied that the importance of cybersecurity is enormous.
“Thus, we must stay alert and anticipate the possible incoming attacks from external elements and be ready with all the possible solutions for utmost protection,” he said in a statement.
Mohamed Razali said as an organisation that believes in continuous improvement, Sabah Net is taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity by using a combination of industry leading tools designed to provide extremely high levels of protection for its customers’ data and systems.
“I wish to thank award-winning security solutions company Fortinet Malaysia for allowing limitless opportunities in bringing positive impacts to East Malaysia through Smart Partnership with Sabah Net.
“We appreciate your commitment in elevating the state’s cybersecurity defences amid rapid global cyber threats happening around us,” he said in a statement, adding Sabah Net has been working with Fortinet for more than 10 years.
Mohamed Razali added that for over 20 years, Fortinet has been a driving force behind cybersecurity innovations with their ability to detect threats and provide effective cyber security prevention and remediation solutions.
“As such, we will continue to adopt Fortinet solutions into our Managed Security Services.”
On Friday, Sabah Net and Fortinet formalised the Smart Partnership at Sabah International Convention Centre here.
Also present were the state Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Permanent Secretary, Zainudin Aman, Sabah Net Chief Executive Officer, Chin Kah Yi, and Fortinet Malaysia Sales Director, Abdul Aziz Ali.
Zainudin said the smart partnership is crucial to address the shortage of professional cybersecurity and create more local jobs besides providing continuous guidance on best cybersecurity practices.
As for the state government, having a centre of excellence for cybersecurity will help to further protect sensitive data.
“It is to enable government digital services to operate without disruptions.
“It is also to help the government ICT infrastructure to provide trustable services for the people.”
Meanwhile, Chin said Sabah Net looks forward to nurturing at least 100 certified Fortinet engineers in the next 3 to 5 years.
The Fortinet Network Security Expert Certification Program is an 8-level training and assessment program designed for customers, partners, and employees to help close the cybersecurity skills gap.
“These engineers shall not only come from Sabah Net in-house talents, but also engineers from customers and local Fortinet partners in the state.”
