KUALA LUMPUR — The Digital Ministry will introduce an intelligence system to monitor personal data sales activities on the dark web in the second quarter this year.
This follows concerns over the gleaning of personal data from online shopping platforms, and their sale over the dark web, minister Gobind Singh Deo told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Called the Threat Intelligence Capacity Support Automation Project for Personal Data Breach Case Management, the system will monitor sales and transactions involving personal data, and will be launched in the second quarter.
“This project was developed following increasing concerns over the issue of personal data sales and transactions through online shopping platforms including the dark web.
“This is part of the Digital Ministry’s efforts, through the Personal Data Protection Commissioner (PDP), in addressing the increasingly worrying global digital security crisis,” Gobind said in a statement by the ministry.
The PDP Commissioner has also stepped up enforcement activities, advocacy programmes and upgrades to software, applications and security that are used in regulating personal data security.
In August last year, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd suffered a data breach, said to be more than 300GB worth of data, according to cybercriminal group RansomHub which claimed responsibility.
In a parliamentary written reply dated Feb 12, the Digital Ministry said investigations have found that hackers had used a “sophisticated” and “discreet” method in the cyberattack on the company that manages public transport bus rail services such as the LRT and MRT.
The degree of sophistication was such that Prasarana’s security system could not detect the unauthorised access. Since then, Prasarana has taken steps to enhance its security system.
In December last year, an X account called @stealthmole_int claimed that the MyKad data of 17 million Malaysians had been leaked and is being sold on the dark web.
However, the Home Ministry and police dismissed the claims, saying the relevant agency, National Registration Department, had not reported any data leaks.
The allegation however, is being investigated by the National Cyber Security Agency. – February 18, 2025