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WEDNESDAY | MAY 6, 2026

Strong, cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem emerging in M’sia

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is seeing the emergence of a strong and tightly connected cybersecurity ecosystem with high-skilled talent and creative problem-solving capabilities amid rising global cyber threats, according to Russian cybersecurity firm Positive Technologies. Speaking to SunBiz on the sidelines of its flagship Positive Hack Talks (PHTalks) here, the firm’s Community Bro Alex Moshkov ( pic ) said Malaysia’s cybersecurity community stands out for its strength and cohesion. “From the community pers pective, Malaysia is really, really strong. You have very strong professionals here with high skills. And the community is very, very tight. They are friendly, they know each other, they are bonded together. So I wouldn’t say it’s anything the same as I met in any other countries,” he added. Moshkov said cybersecurity is increasingly shaped by global developments, where threats evolve rapidly and require collaboration across borders, with knowledge sharing playing a key role in keeping pace with emerging risks. The PHTalks series is being scaled progressively across Asia, in line with growing demand for practical, community-driven cybersecurity engagement, he said. “We have already hosted events in Indonesia, Vietnam and India, and we are continuing to expand across Southeast Asia. China is likely on our roadmap next year, and Thailand could happen as early as this year. We usually plan our events just two to three months ahead,” Moshkov said. According to Positive Technologies, while Malaysia may not have the same level of funding as more developed markets, it possesses a distinct advantage in its approach to problem PETALING JAYA: U Mobile, Malaysia’s newest 5G network provider, on the back of a successful ULTRA5G product and services launch, an nounced that its latest amba ssadors are Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. The duo, who are Malaysia’s top women’s badminton double pair and world number two, have been selected as the company believes their latest postpaid plan will truly benefit the personal and sporting lifestyle needs of the beloved pair. As brand ambassadors, Tan and Thinaah will be shining the spotlight on the all-new ULTRA Family 128 plan, which offers built-in global roaming across more than 60 destinations, free incoming calls while abroad, and shareable data for seamless connectivity while travelling. Back in Malaysia, the plan provides network priority access in high-traffic areas such as airports and stadiums, ensuring a consistent connection even in crowded environments. This means that even if they are in a packed stadium, they are able to upload and share their best moments online as heavy network traffic will be

footprint in Malaysia, and stated that its presence here is not driven by immediate business in terests. “We don’t really have a footprint here because we don’t do much business from that perspective in Malaysia in particular, this is not the goal of the current event, really. Here it’s basically about community,” the repre sentative said.

“built, broken and learned” in cybersecurity, with an emphasis on practical demonstrations over theoretical discussions. The Kuala Lumpur edition featured a lineup of international and regional speakers covering topics such as Android runtime application self-protection analysis, Windows privilege escalation vulnerabilities, kernel-level exploitation

o The tight-knit community in the country stands out for highly skilled talent and creative problem-solving capabilities, says Russia’s Positive Technologies

different things,” the representative said. Positive Technologies said fostering such collaboration is critical, as cybersecurity is a shared global challenge that requires contributions from multiple countries and cannot be addressed in isolation. “Different countries bring distinct strengths, perspectives and app roaches to solving cybersecurity challenges, making cross-border collaboration essential in developing more effective and resilient solutions. “By connecting experts from various regions, the exchange of knowledge, experiences and metho dologies can help accelerate problem-solving and improve the collective ability to respond to emerging threats.” Such collaboration, the company said, is particularly important as cyber risks become more complex and interconnected, requiring not only technical expertise but also diverse thinking and coordinated efforts across the global cybersecurity community. According to the firm, it currently has no significant commercial

solving, particularly through the way its cybersecurity professionals think and operate. “They may be what they lack in the funding, but have their ad vantages in unorthodox thinking. It motivates them to look for alternative solutions that maybe are not on the table for people who have enough money,” a company representative said. The representative added that working within constraints often drives professionals to explore different perspectives and approaches to enable them to develop alternative solutions and adapt more effectively to evolving cybersecurity challenges. Such qualities create oppor tunities for deeper collaboration, particularly through platforms such as Positive Hack Talks, where experts from different backgrounds are able to exchange ideas and learn from one another. “It brings us the opportunity to create this community and share the experience and then connect experts with different kinds of knowledge and different angles, different views at a thing of the past due to their priority network access. Tan said, “We travel almost all year round for tournaments and training, so being able to stay connected the moment we land is very important. I can quickly check schedules, coordinate with our team and stay in touch with family without having to worry about changing SIM cards or finding Wi-Fi.” Thinaah added, “What I like is how easy it is to stay connected across different countries. We don’t have to think about switching plans or managing data when we travel. It just works, and that gives us peace of mind to focus on our preparation and matches.” U Mobile chief consumer business officer Navin Manian said the partnership reflects how the company is aligning its products with real customer needs. “Badminton is a true national passion, and with Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan being Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, they are a natural fit to represent U Mobile. “As a Malaysian company, the company is committed to pushing

techniques, and artificial intelli gence-assisted vulnerability research. Among the key sessions were presentations on advanced attack vectors in Windows Subsystem for Linux, reversing anti-cheat systems, and identifying hidden risks in email based systems, reflecting the evolving complexity of cyber threats. In addition to formal sessions, the event included “community stand ups”, where local cybersecurity practitioners shared short insights on topics such as Malaysia’s threat land scape, talent development initiatives and the future of operational technology and Internet of Things security.

The firm said its focus is on building relationships with local cybersecurity professionals, re searchers and students, with the aim of strengthening connections and supporting knowledge development over time. Positive Technologies said its long-term goal is to build a global network of cybersecurity experts who can collaborate across borders, share knowledge and develop solutions collectively. “We would really like to build a community that communicates all around the world where people will be able to share their experiences, share their problems, find some ways to solve their problems or share their ideas and develop them,” the representative said. The PHTalks is designed as a free, in-person, community-driven meet up, where participants share hands on experience on what they have

PHTalks forms part of a global series that has brought together more than 1,500 cybersecurity pro fessionals across countries including India, Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia and Brazil, as part of efforts to strengthen knowledge-sharing within the cybersecurity community. U Mobile names Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah as brand ambassadors

enjoy the benefits of our ULTRA Postpaid plans, where features such as high-speed data, free global roaming and advanced security provide true peace of mind for all their connectivity needs, so they can stay focused on what matters most.” To mark the partnership, U Mobile will be hosting a special public meet and-greet session with Tan and Thinaah. Fans can visit the U Mobile Sunway Pyramid Flagship store on May 16 between 1pm and 4pm for the opportunity to get up close with the duo and stand a chance to win exclusive merchandise. Apart from signing on Tan and Thinaah as U Mobile’s brand ambassadors, U Mobile is also the official Event Partner for the Perodua Malaysia Masters presented by Daihatsu taking place from May 19 to 24. U Mobile recently launched its all new ULTRA Prepaid, Postpaid and enterprise plans featuring industry first features such as network Priority access, integrated intelligent security, Premier Roaming and ULTRA5G Reserve made possible by the telco’s next gen 5G AI-driven network.

From left: Navin, Tan, Thinaah and U Mobile CEO Kenneth Chang. boundaries to innovate and deliver more for Malaysians, while supporting the nation’s ambition to become a regional leader in the digital economy. We believe Pearly and

Thinaah share this same drive to elevate Malaysia on the world stage through their achievements in badminton.” He added, “We hope they will fully