Protective security has always been gov't's main concern - Mohd Zuki

PUTRAJAYA - Protective security has always been the main concern and priority of the government, says Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.

He said apart from having the Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959 to protect against any form of threat to the government, the Security Directive (Arahan Keselamatan) was also amended in 2020 to improve the quality of protective security in all government agencies, especially involving the development of digital technology.

According to him, the Security Directive was amended after the government, through the Cabinet meeting, issued General Circular No. 1 of 2020 dated Jan 2, 2020.

The amendment to the Security Directive involves the addition of two important chapters, namely Chapter 5: Security of Official Secrets in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Environment and Chapter 7: Management of Service Continuity.

"Through this amendment, protective security management now places emphasis on a systematic, holistic and planned protective security plan covering the ICT environment," he said in his opening speech at the 2022 National Level Protective Security Convention today.

Mohd Zuki said the amendment also places emphasis on effective security governance in order to provide a conducive security environment for government assets and confidentiality in line with current needs.

According to him, the introduction and adaptation of new technologies that support the operations and functions of the organisation are seen to be able to bring about new threats that need to be addressed effectively.

The new technologies are the Internet of Things (IOT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) and Cloud Computing.

"This new challenge requires the government to immediately strengthen knowledge, skills and expertise, especially among civil servants to ensure that technological advances can be adopted safely while contributing towards strengthening the overall security," he said.

In the context of governance, Mohd Zuki said security measures were implemented systematically and would be monitored continuously to ensure that any security issues could be addressed efficiently and effectively.

"With the right combination of protective security programmes and efficient governance, government agencies will certainly be able to achieve a secure, trustworthy and confident work environment, as well as maintain public and investor confidence," he said. - BERNAMA TAGS: Mohd Zuki Ali, protective security, technology