Online data breaches in the country are rising dramatically, pointing to a worrying situation and the need for public awareness of the importance of cyber security.

CyberSecurity Malaysia said according to its Cyber999 Help Centre, there were 178 data breaches involving Internet users from January to September this year, compared to 63 and 19 respectively in 2018 and 2017.

CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab (photo) told Bernama, breaches involving organisations can take place when the security of data in their possession is not given importance.

"This includes using outdated methods used to destroy data and some organisations choosing to store data with insufficient protections.

"All parties who owe a responsibility to consumers, should give due attention to data protection," he said.

In September, the media reported that budget airlines such as Malindo Air and Thai Lion Air acknowledged massive data breaches which began in August, with the airlines eventually addressing them.

The breaches caused information on millions of passengers including passport numbers, home addresses and telephone numbers to be circulated through an online data exchange forum.

Amirudin advised that the constant reconfiguration of computers, and updating and improving plug-ins, as well as the use of anti-virus and firewall protections, would aid in the prevention of data breaches.

He said investments in such measures would also help avoid the ramifications of data breaches, such as the negative impact on an organisation's reputation, reduced investor confidence and financial loss.

Meanwhile, Dr Hafiza Abas, senior lecturer at the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, advised organisations to provide cyber crime awareness programmes for their employees.

"The awareness must begin from top management all the way down," she urged.

- Bernama