PETALING JAYA (June 11): Malaysia is ranked 23rd in the world when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, with the country’s readiness currently standing at 67%.

Nazri Ahmad Zamani, specialist in the digital forensics department at CyberSecurity Malaysia, said that the country’s data centres are infrastructure ready when it comes to AI, however, AI requires special facilities that come at high prices. 

If Malaysia decides to go into the direction of being a powerhouse of AI research & development (R&D) and innovation, this is something that must be looked into, he asserted.

“When it comes to AI, we need special infrastructures. You cannot just train your data by using [any] available servers or computer PCs that you have. It requires a special facility, GPU, for example. And this infrastructure is very expensive,” said Nazri, speaking a press conference from the Palo Alto Networks flagship cybersecurity event, Ignite on Tour, at the One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

Subscribing to cloud computing facilities like Google Cloud or Amazon is considered the most economical solution to the issue, however, this has presented Malaysia with issues in data privacy laws. As Malaysia is strict when it comes to data sovereignty, there is fear that comes from having data in foreign servers and co-locators that do not have a presence in the country.

Nazri stressed on the need for AI education to a wider audience, not just to universities, to give more exposure on the topic. The ‘AI for Rakyat’, he said is a good start and hopes that this will lead the new generation to be more prepared in the future. 

AI is looking to be a big game changer in the way enterprises operate, especially in response to cybersecurity attacks. It used to take 12 hours to build a ransomware in 2022, but with AI, that duration is projected to shrink to only 15 minutes in 2026.

Currently, 43% of organisations are actively using AI in some form, and 50% of employees are using AI without the company’s knowledge. 

“While the advancements in AI in 2023 have driven significant business transformations, they have also introduced new cybersecurity challenges. Malaysian businesses, given their high digital engagement, are particularly at risk. To safeguard their operations, organisations must counter AI with AI – harnessing the capabilities of AI to enhance security measures, achieve better visibility, and automate their security processes,” said Meerah Rajavel, chief information officer at Palo Alto Networks.

She touched upon how AI trends in the cyber landscape include sophisticated phishing threats and ransomware attacks (most prominently in the healthcare, critical infrastructure and financial sectors) and the rise in AI malfunction through external influences. 

Meerah also shared three aspects for both organisations and individuals to look out for, that includes cybersecurity education, constant security integration, and proper policies and governance from public or governmental organisations.

Steven Scheurmann, regional vice president of Asean at Palo Alto Networks, added that, “Malaysia has an opportunity to be a major player. [There are more than] 30 million people, the demographics is relatively young, everyone is connected and the communication service providers are investing here. 

“If Malaysia, a unique part of the world where there are lots of people living, is able to innovate, take advantage of digital transformation, you can be a leader in this space,” added Scheurmann.