Cybersecurity Malaysia, Celcom And Huawei Malaysia Team Up to Explore Development of Malaysia’s Cyber Security Capabilities Towards 5G

[KUALA LUMPUR, 30 March 2021] CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM), Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom), and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (“Huawei Malaysia”), formed an alliance through a tri-partite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the objective of understanding, learning, managing, mitigating and reducing threats related to 5G security.

Through the MoU, a 5G Cyber Security Test Lab will be established to achieve the objectives of the collaboration, as announced by Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Communications and Multimedia, at the “Connected for Shared Prosperity” forum hosted by Huawei, in conjunction with the Mobile World Congress 2021 last month in Shanghai, China. The test lab will be the first of its kind in the South East Asia region.

The 5G Cyber Security Test Lab, which will be built within CyberSecurity Malaysia’s premises in Cyberjaya, will not only execute test cases pertaining to Internet of Things (IoT) and telecommunications security but also improve the country’s preparedness in responding to cyberattacks in relation to 5G.

This initiative is also timely with the recent announcement of the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint or MyDigital by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, where 5G is expected to be rolled-out by the end of this year.

Moreover, the facility will encompass a comprehensive 5G Test Bed ecosystem incorporating technologies such as 5G radio access network (RAN), Edge Network, Core Network, Cloud Application as well as End User devices which are equipped with security test tools and equipment.

“Cyber threats are on the rise and national security as well as public safety are of utmost importance to our daily operations. Thus, the relevant skill sets, knowledge and tools are required to protect organisations and individuals from cyber threats. This MoU aims to establish a strategic partnership on technological capabilities, strengths and capacities, which CyberSecurity Malaysia finds necessary to adopt in realizing our cybersecurity vision. I am confident that this partnership with experienced and committed partners -- Huawei and Celcom will ensure Malaysia’s interests in cybersecurity are well-protected.” said Dato’ Ts. Dr. Haji Amirudin bin Abdul Wahab FASc, Chief Executive Officer of CyberSecurity Malaysia.

Idham Nawawi, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said, “Today’s collaboration further signifies Celcom’s commitment and vigilance to further develop and innovate cyber security, especially in preparation of the introduction of 5G technology. We feel it is established at the best time as cybersecurity within today’s digital ecosystem has become more vital, especially since new norms require the rakyat to depend on technology and connectivity for education, business and livelihood.

“Through this collaboration, Celcom plans to also engage and synergise with our established business partners from various technology pillars, and leverage on the 5G Cyber Security Test Lab as a platform for research, analytics, development and assessment of secure IoT solutions for B2B and B2C. This is anticipated to benefit multiple industry verticals and consumers, further expanding Celcom’s offerings of IoT solutions such as Smart City and Smart Home Solutions, esports, connectivity, and digital content, among others.

“We also feel that the collaboration is aligned with the nation’s Jendela aspiration that aims to prepare Malaysia for 5G and will pave the way towards ensuring a safe and sustainable digital ecosystem. This will be a key pillar to defending the nation’s interests within cyberspace and will contribute to the national aspiration of making Malaysia a digital economy powerhouse within the region,” Idham added.

Huawei Malaysia CEO Michael Yuan said that as a global technology leader with extensive knowledge and expertise in 5G, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Huawei Malaysia is well-positioned to provide the technology, services and solutions needed to overcome cybersecurity risks.

“In this day and age, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Cyber-attacks have become so rampant and can be extremely damaging to both individuals and businesses. In line with Malaysia’s ambition to be the ASEAN Digital Hub, it is our responsibility as a technology partner to help the country realise that vision, by working on cybersecurity initiatives and building cybersecurity awareness,” Yuan said.

“On behalf of Huawei Malaysia, I would like to express my gratitude to our strategic partners, CyberSecurity Malaysia and Celcom for placing their trust in us. We are honoured to lend our expertise and resources not just for this joint initiative but as part of Malaysia’s mission to enhance its cybersecurity capabilities,” Yuan added.

The parties will also jointly identify strategic core areas in managing, mitigating and reducing threats to cybersecurity and introduce the NESAS (Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme) or other equivalent standards and requirements into Malaysia’s 5G network industry.

The 5G Cyber Security Test Lab will showcase Huawei’s focus on security research and development (R&D) which is evidenced through the secure operation of hundreds of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks all over the world, over the past decade.

Continuous improvements in Huawei’s security practices have placed it among the world’s foremost ICT companies, and the company remains committed to not only building confidentiality, integrity, availability, traceability and user privacy protection in 5G equipment based on the 3GPP security standards, but also in collaborating with operators to build high cyber resilience in networks from the operation and maintenance (O&M) perspective.

three parties today have long-standing collaborative relationships with each other and this MoU is a combination of forces.