Cybersecurity Act may reduce data breaches, says expert
The act would not involve users' personal rights but rather focus on infrastructure reform protection.
SHAH ALAM – The enforcement of the Cybersecurity Act 2024 (Act 854) is not expected to have a significant impact on efforts to curb online fraud activities in the country, but it could reduce cases of user data breaches.
Cybersecurity expert Fong Choong Fook said that the act would not involve users' personal rights but rather focus on infrastructure reform protection.
"Through this infrastructure reform protection, it directly imposes security requirements on all company operators.
"This mechanism helps minimise data exposure, indirectly making it more difficult for scammers to steal personal data.
"However, the act does not have a major impact on curbing scam-related crimes," he told Sinar Harian.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set Act 854 to come into effect on Monday after receiving the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim on June 18, and it was published in the Gazette on June 26.
Fong added that the law could enhance cybersecurity controls, thereby reducing cases of user data breaches in the country.
He said with the regulation in place, organisations or companies under the 11 National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) sectors were expected to be more cautious in managing their security functions.
"When they are more cautious and proactive in managing these issues, we expect cases involving cyber threats such as data breaches to decrease," he added.
