PETALING JAYA – Operations at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) were not affected by a cyber attack by hackers who demanded US$10 million (S$13.4 million).
In a joint statement on March 25, the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) said they detected a cyber-security threat affecting certain computer systems at KLIA on March 23.
“A comprehensive investigation was immediately launched to assess the nature and extent of the incident, and the relevant authorities were swiftly notified.
“The Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia has also been informed and developments are being closely followed since receiving the MAHB report,” said Nacsa chief executive officer Megat Zulhairy Megat Tajuddin in the statement.
He added that Nacsa would continue to monitor the situation and support MAHB.
“Malaysia Airports assures all stakeholders that maintaining airport operations remains our focus and we are working with our airport partners to ensure that flight operations and passenger processing continue to operate normally,” said MAHB managing director Mohd Izani Ghani.
He said ensuring the safety, security, and integrity of airport systems remains the highest priority at this time.
“The technical and operational teams are actively monitoring the situation and implementing necessary measures to safeguard the infrastructure and ensure an uninterrupted passenger experience,” he said.
Malaysia Prime Minister Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he did not hesitate to turn down the hackers’ demands for US$10 million, without revealing details.
“I didn’t even wait five seconds, I immediately answered no,” he said at Malaysia’s Police Day celebration on March 25.
“The cyber attack occurred one or two days ago. The government decided not to give in to the criminals. Instead, we are planning to allocate more funds to strengthen Malaysia’s cyber-security systems.” THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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