Significant strides have been made in cybersecurity research and development by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), as well as in spreading awareness of the subject.
Significant strides have been made in cybersecurity research and development by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), as well as in spreading awareness of the subject.
UTM acknowledges the need for stronger security measures in light of the increase in cyberthreats as well as the critical role that R&D, education, and awareness play in reducing cyber risks.
“UTM’s research and development efforts in cyber security are led by its renowned researchers, who have been working tirelessly to identify and address the latest cyber threats facing individuals and organisations,” says UTM Vice-Chancellor Prof. Datuk Ir. Ts.
Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail. Prof. Fauzi continued, “UTM researchers have created cutting-edge solutions and technologies through their work via our Faculty of Computing, Centers of Excellence (CoE), and Research Groups that are assisting in preventing the compromise of sensitive information, systems, and networks.”
UTM works to support this by not only conducting research to address market and industry needs but also by upskilling and developing talent in this field.
He continued, “We offer a Master of Cybersecurity through the Faculty of Computing, as well as several professional programmes through the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics. We are ranked second (2nd) in Malaysia for Computer Science in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject.”
The UTM Research Alliance in the Smart Digital Community is responsible for leading research and commercialization initiatives in the fields of cybersecurity and data science.
Additionally, the university maintains solid relationships with organisations like Cyber Security Malaysia. The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has also designated UTM as a Premier Digital Tech University since 2017.
Additionally, UTM has two reputable Centers of Excellence: the Information Assurance and Security Research Group and the Big Data Research Center (IASRG). These centres have started working on “eyeNoon,” a research project that serves as a 4th generation firewall and filters unproductive websites at the same time.
On the other hand, UTM has a number of research teams engaged in analysis and consultation in the field of cybersecurity.
Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), Digital and Vehicle Forensics projects call for digital solutions utilising artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and economical security technologies, and Multimedia Protection (MProtec), Software for Trusted Environment (SoftTrust), and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are working on these projects.
In addition to conducting research and development, UTM is actively promoting cybersecurity issues. UTM educates people and organisations about how to defend themselves against cyber threats through its outreach programmes.
To accomplish this, our academics, researchers, and students regularly organise and take part in hackathons. For instance, during the Algorand-Reach Intervarsity Hackathon in Blockchain 2022, three (3) student teams from UTM were successful in winning important awards for their work on the projects “OWNTRAD,” “PROJECT SMART COURSE,” and “BundleIT.”
Additionally, the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) hired UTM to train government employees this year, including three (3) levels of blockchain technology certification. UTM has set up joint labs and innovation hubs to maximise its impact and ensure long-term collaboration between academia and industry in this area.
The UTM-CSM Cyber Threat Intelligence Lab was once established by UTM, and it has collaborated with a number of businesses, including Bid Now Sdn. Bhd. and OK Blockchain Centre Sdn., a Japanese software development company.
In addition, the UTM Kuala Lumpur (UTM KL) campus has housed the UTM-Ericsson 5G Innovation Center since 2016. In 2020, UTM was created by the Security Operation Centre in cooperation with MDEC and Tecforte (SOC). Additionally, Mastercard and UTM recently forged a partnership in the fintech sector.
By establishing the UTM-Mastercard Cyber Innovation Hub, this international partnership entails collaborative research efforts and proof-of-concept initiatives to identify and mitigate emerging cybersecurity threats and speed up the implementation of privacy-enhancing technology for financial services in Malaysia.
The alliance we’ve formed with our business partners will make it easier to combine our R&D efforts in a few key cybersecurity and analytics areas, opening the door for more significant innovation and cooperation in the field. UTM’s satellite lab and innovation hubs aim to advance cybersecurity education, research, and innovation in Malaysia and abroad through collaboration with businesses and government organisations.
Due to previous and ongoing initiatives, it is clear that UTM is dedicated to leading the way in cybersecurity research, education, and innovation, which the industry and general public need to successfully navigate the complex and constantly evolving cyber landscape.