
MCMC's Safe Internet Campaign aims to help educate society to protect privacy, browse safely
The Deputy Communications Minister added that the campaign was launched last month to educate the public, in particular future generations, on how to properly use the Internet and social media including apps safely
'This is a new programme by MCMC, which was launched for the first time in April. So far, we have held the campaign in nine primary schools including vernacular schools across the country.
'We are hoping to enter secondary schools and public universities to hold the Safe Internet Campaign by next month to create awareness on becoming a responsible Internet user,' she said.
Teo, who is also the Kulai MP, said this to pressmen after officiating at the Kita Madani carnival held at PPR Sri Stulang here on Saturday (May 17).
She added that to ensure that the campaign able to reach out to as many people as it can, MCMC was in the midst of training individuals to become trainers.
Teo also said that through the campaign, the government was aggressive in tackling issues such as cyber bullying, protecting data and personal information online and not abusing technology such as artificial intelligence.
'The campaign will also help educate the public on not to fall prey to any get rich schemes they found online, which has become very serious lately.
'Based on the records by police, until April, which is the first four months, almost RM800mil in losses have been recorded with more than half of those cases are non existing investment schemes,' she added.
Teo said scam cases should be looked upon seriously not only by authorities but by everyone including members of the public so that people would not lose their savings anymore.
She added that the Safe Internet Campaign would be held during the sidelines of Rakyat Madani Program (PMR) 2025, which will be held at Toppen Shopping Centre here for three days from May 23 and May 25.
'Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be launching the event on next Friday (May 23) at around 3pm.
'Many agencies will set up booth during the PMR 2025 where it would provide an opportunity for the people to have a better understanding on the Madani government's policies and initiatives for them,' she said.
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The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
INTERACTIVE: Fake or fact? Only three in 10 Malaysians verify info online
PETALING JAYA: Scams, hoaxes, and deepfakes are everywhere — but only three out of 10 Malaysians take the effort to verify information online. This means that 70% of people in Malaysia tend to accept what they see online without checking further on the Internet if such information is reliable or not. Such is based on the Statistics Department's survey report on ICT use and access by individuals and households for 2024. This problem could be caused by the lack of digital literacy in our education system, while social media platforms are becoming the top but unregulated sources of information for many, say cybersecurity experts. To make matters worse, there's a 5% increase in cybersecurity incidents from 2023 to last year, with the bulk of cases being online fraud. Nevertheless, there's a bright side - more Malaysians are protecting their devices and online accounts such as by creating strong passwords, limiting access to personal information, among others. Here's an overview of the online habits of Malaysians when it comes to safety, online protection and awareness. Click on the arrow buttons to see the next image: Incidents on the rise It's not helping that there was a spike in cybersecurity cases from 5,917 in 2023 to 6,209 last year, based on incidents reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia. Most or 68% of the total cases last year were involving fraud, followed by content-related cybercrimes at 9.3%. Here's a more detailed look at the cases, reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia's incident response centre, Cyber999: CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said the low rate of Malaysians verifying information is a big contributing factor to the rise in online fraud and cyber threat incidents. 'Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting this by relying not just on technical attacks, but on manipulating trust, emotions, and misinformation to deceive victims,' he said in an interview. He said it created a fertile environment for cybercriminals to thrive - using methods like social engineering, phishing, fake job offers and investment scams. Amirudin urged the public to verify before sharing with fact-checking platforms like maintained by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Malaysians are also encouraged to cross-check announcements with established media outlets, including The Star. To report any cybersecurity concerns, the public can contact Cyber999 at cyber999@ or call 1-300-88-2999 (office hours) or +6019-266 5850 (24-hour helpline). Are we too trusting? There's also another growing threat - the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to create and spread false material to deceive others. 'Those who do not verify online information face the risk of digital manipulation, a growing national threat in the age of AI-driven content,' says data privacy expert and consultant Luke Raj. One example was the elderly couple misled by a viral AI-generated video on social media promoting a fictional cable car in Ipoh, Perak. The couple, who saw the clip online, reportedly travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Perak only to be told by a hotel worker that the attraction did not exist. Cybersecurity expert Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin said this phenomenon is expected to continue and even intensify, as the quality and accessibility of AI tools improve rapidly. 'It will indeed become more difficult to tell what is real from fake as AI technology advances,' said Mohamed Ridza, who was with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. To address this, CyberSecurity Malaysia's Amirudin said more could be done to invest in tools to detect and trace AI-generated media. 'However, detection alone is not enough, public awareness and digital literacy remain critical pillars in preventing the viral spread of misleading content,' he added. On why many Malaysians do not verify online information, Luke said our education system has yet to provide more focus on digital literacy among students. 'At the same time, elderly and rural communities remain isolated from fact-checking tools and training,' he said. Another reason was that social media and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and TikTok were becoming the dominant sources of information, enabling fake news and hoaxes to be spread easily and widely. It was reported that the government was considering whether to make it a requirement to label AI-generated content to address the misuse of AI, such as scams, defamation and identity impersonation, especially on social media platforms. Penangites are most sceptical Across states, people in Penang had the highest percentage of those who verified the reliability of information found online at 38.7%. This was followed by residents in Putrajaya (38.2%), Kuala Lumpur (37.7%) and Selangor (37.1%), based on data last year. States which recorded the lowest rate were Sabah at 20.5% and Sarawak at 21.5%. Experts believe that the more urbanised an area, the higher the percentage of residents who took the step to check the sources of information online. Mohamed Ridza said residents in urban areas generally have higher incomes and better access to education, which correlates with greater digital literacy and cautious online behaviour. 'Urban states also benefit from better infrastructure not only for Internet but also for media and education, supporting a more informed population,' he said. On the bright side The good news is that most Malaysians are practising good online habits such as by protecting their devices and online accounts with strong passwords and login attempt notifications. Some 80% of people in Malaysia set up these effective measures to protect devices and online accounts, based on the data. Putrajaya was the state which practised this the best, having the highest percentage of residents who took such steps at 92.9%. The federal territory also emerged tops when it comes to changing privacy settings on devices, accounts or apps to limit the sharing of personal data such as a person's name, contact information and photos. Putrajaya had the highest percentage of users who protected their privacy online at 85%, followed by Johor at 83.8% and Selangor at 83.7%. Meanwhile, Selangor had the largest percentage of residents who were aware of cybercrimes like hacking, phishing, cyberbullying and catfishing. We can do more To better safeguard Malaysians online, digital literacy could be included in school lessons while more measures to proactively prevent scams could be done. 'Malaysia must embed digital literacy into the national education syllabus, from primary to tertiary levels not as an ICT subject, but as a cross-disciplinary civic skill,' urged Luke. He said our country should also launch national campaigns targeting WhatsApp, TikTok, and YouTube to raise awareness on misinformation. Efforts should include supporting detection of AI in viral content which spreads fake news. 'Malaysia can leverage MyDigital ID initiatives by integrating them with fraud alerts, fact-check nudges, and public safety notifications,' Luke suggested. He also called on companies that offer software applications to ensure that anti-virus and anti-malware protection is integrated into their apps. 'This is especially important for mobile users, who are increasingly targeted by hackers through malicious links, fake apps, and data theft,' he said. But ultimately, Malaysians must change for the better when it comes to being more vigilant online. 'Verifying content before sharing must become a norm, not a niche practice. 'Digital skepticism should not be viewed as distrust, but as a civic virtue,' Luke said. He also hoped families will protect the elderly and children by educating them about the potential dangers online. 'In an era where AI-generated deception can travel faster than truth, the only true firewall is a critical, informed society,' Luke added. Here are a few things Malaysians can do to wise up online, based on advice from the experts in this article: Cybersecurity tips - Verify info online by Meikeng


The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
Two men lose RM470k to investment and phone scams in Ipoh
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Barnama
17 hours ago
- Barnama
Two Men Lose Over RM470,000 To Investment And Phone Scams
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