PETALING JAYA (March 30): CyberSecurity Malaysia has given assurance that Malaysia's cyber landscape has not been subjected to any unusual trends or attempts to disrupt network systems in the light of the MH370 tragedy.
Its CEO, Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab in an email response to fz.com, cleared the air on rumours of cyberattacks.
"We have been closely monitoring the cyber security landscape, and we are pleased to inform you that in our observation there [has] been NO unusual trend, and NO attempt to attack Malaysian networks due to the tragic loss of flight MH370.
"The people of Malaysia and most parts of the world are united in prayer and sympathy for the passengers, crew, relatives and friends of those involved in MH370. We are also praying for the safety and success of the multinational search and rescue teams," he told fz.com.
The possibility of cyberattacks arose in an email allegedly from the National Security Council (NSC) which appeared on social media. The purported email warned of potential attacks on the websites of government ministries due to China's dissatisfaction towards Malaysia's handling of investigations into the missing plane.
The email read: "It is advised that the National Security Council has received notification from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) about possible cyberattacks from the Republic of China following the latest developments tragedy of MH370 aircraft.
"Accordingly, we ask the head of sector to monitor and notify of any matters to the CNII agency under the purview of your respective sectors."
So far, MCMC has yet to respond to fz.com's attempts to verify the alleged warning.
CyberSecurity has also issued advisories to caution the public against false news or hoaxes regarding MH370 that may contain malware.
The Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT), a service under CyberSecurity, had observed that emergence of a Facebook App hosted on a malicious domain. Once clicked on it can infect users' computers.
This will cause the infected computer to allow the attacker to remotely control the computer to execute various commands as the malware gathers information about the IP address and host name of the infected computers.
MyCERT had also cautioned against the spread of hoax reports regarding "discoveries" of the missing plane on social media.
The agency recommends that Internet users do not pass on suspicious messages about the plane nor click or open any pictures or videos claiming to be video of the missing aircraft, as this may redirect to malicious websites.
However, if a post has already been shared, it is advised that immediate action to delete the video from Facebook wall or "unlike" it.
Source: FZ
Promoting Thinking Minds Via Rational Rationale
Showing posts with label Security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Security. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Abdullah - Tops List
A secret document revealed by a German daily, Der Spiegel, shows that former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (pic) was at the top of a list of world leaders targeted for surveillance by the United States' National Security Agency.
The list was compiled in 2009 and contained the names of 122 world leaders, starting with Abdullah and ending with former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Other leaders include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Syria's Bashar al-Assad.
According to the paper, the documents did not provide sufficient information to determine the types of surveillance, with the NSA saying it would not comment on the matter.
Abdullah took over the premiership from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003. He resigned six years later following Barisan Nasional's poor performance in the 2008 general election, after calls led by Dr Mahathir for his removal.
During his tenure, Abdullah came under the spotlight after it was revealed that Scomi, a company owned by his son Kamaluddin, was allegedly involved in supplying dual-use technology to Libya's clandestine nuclear-weapons programme. This followed an admission by Pakistani nuclear scientiest Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan that he had shared nuclear information and designs with other countries.
In 2004, a US report named Abdullah for being involved in an Iraq oil-for-food programme scandal, but he denied the allegation, saying he had merely endorsed a valid legitimate business organised by the United Nations in collaboration with the Iraqi government.
The Spiegel report, published yesterday, cited former CIA agent Edward Snowden as the source for the top-secret document.
Only 12 names were, however, shared with Spiegel, including Merkel’s, confirming Snowden's claim last year that the German leader's mobile phone had been tapped by the NSA.
The paper also reported that British security agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had infiltrated German Internet firms and that a court order was obtained by the NSA to spy on Germany.
The latest revelation comes several months after Putrajaya summoned American and Australian diplomats in Kuala Lumpur over an alleged United States-led spying network in Asia, including China and Indonesia.
Based on Snowden's revelation, it was widely reported that Australian embassies in Asia were being used to tap phone calls and data.
Der Spiegel had earlier published a map dated August 2010, showing the existence of some 90 electronic surveillance facilities worldwide, including US embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Yangon.
Snowden had also said Singapore had aided the spying activity, describing the city state a key “third party” to providing access to Malaysian communications.
Snowden is at the centre of some 200,000 leaked documents showing American espionage worldwide.
Washington also runs a monitoring station in its Kuala Lumpur embassy to tap and monitor phone and network communications. – March 30, 2014.
The Malaysian Insider
The list was compiled in 2009 and contained the names of 122 world leaders, starting with Abdullah and ending with former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Other leaders include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Syria's Bashar al-Assad.
According to the paper, the documents did not provide sufficient information to determine the types of surveillance, with the NSA saying it would not comment on the matter.
Abdullah took over the premiership from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003. He resigned six years later following Barisan Nasional's poor performance in the 2008 general election, after calls led by Dr Mahathir for his removal.
During his tenure, Abdullah came under the spotlight after it was revealed that Scomi, a company owned by his son Kamaluddin, was allegedly involved in supplying dual-use technology to Libya's clandestine nuclear-weapons programme. This followed an admission by Pakistani nuclear scientiest Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan that he had shared nuclear information and designs with other countries.
In 2004, a US report named Abdullah for being involved in an Iraq oil-for-food programme scandal, but he denied the allegation, saying he had merely endorsed a valid legitimate business organised by the United Nations in collaboration with the Iraqi government.
The Spiegel report, published yesterday, cited former CIA agent Edward Snowden as the source for the top-secret document.
Only 12 names were, however, shared with Spiegel, including Merkel’s, confirming Snowden's claim last year that the German leader's mobile phone had been tapped by the NSA.
The paper also reported that British security agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had infiltrated German Internet firms and that a court order was obtained by the NSA to spy on Germany.
The latest revelation comes several months after Putrajaya summoned American and Australian diplomats in Kuala Lumpur over an alleged United States-led spying network in Asia, including China and Indonesia.
Based on Snowden's revelation, it was widely reported that Australian embassies in Asia were being used to tap phone calls and data.
Der Spiegel had earlier published a map dated August 2010, showing the existence of some 90 electronic surveillance facilities worldwide, including US embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Yangon.
Snowden had also said Singapore had aided the spying activity, describing the city state a key “third party” to providing access to Malaysian communications.
Snowden is at the centre of some 200,000 leaked documents showing American espionage worldwide.
Washington also runs a monitoring station in its Kuala Lumpur embassy to tap and monitor phone and network communications. – March 30, 2014.
The Malaysian Insider
Monday, 10 March 2014
PM: Govt will review all protocols, upgrade KLIA's security if necessary
The government will review all protocols involved at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and is prepared to increase protocols and security if there is a need, said Prime Minister Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak .
Commenting on the possibility of elements of terrorist threat in the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 aircraft, he said the government would not draw any conclusions without firm evidence.
"There is no firm evidence now, just a lot of theories flying around. We are forced to find all possible leads and must investigate before making a conclusion," he told reporters after opening the 2014 National Unity programme here, today.
The missing of Flight MH370 since Saturday took an added twist when Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Datuk Azaharuddin Abdul Rahman Sunday confirmed that two passengers had used fake passports when boarding the aircraft.
In a follow-up, Defence Minister and Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia had informed anti-terrorist agencies in several countries about the two passengers.
Till now, the fate of the aircraft, a Boeing 777 200 ER, is unknown. There were 227 passengers from 14 countries aboard the plane including 38 Malaysians and 12 crew.
The plane was heading to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it went missing at 1.30am Saturday, about an hour after takeoff.
Commenting on the possibility of elements of terrorist threat in the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 aircraft, he said the government would not draw any conclusions without firm evidence.
"There is no firm evidence now, just a lot of theories flying around. We are forced to find all possible leads and must investigate before making a conclusion," he told reporters after opening the 2014 National Unity programme here, today.
The missing of Flight MH370 since Saturday took an added twist when Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Datuk Azaharuddin Abdul Rahman Sunday confirmed that two passengers had used fake passports when boarding the aircraft.
In a follow-up, Defence Minister and Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia had informed anti-terrorist agencies in several countries about the two passengers.
Till now, the fate of the aircraft, a Boeing 777 200 ER, is unknown. There were 227 passengers from 14 countries aboard the plane including 38 Malaysians and 12 crew.
The plane was heading to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it went missing at 1.30am Saturday, about an hour after takeoff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)