Shaping the future through Malaysia’s digital journey and ManageEngine’s Southeast Asia plan

• Malaysia, leading Southeast Asia, saw 76% of organizations experience a cyberattack recently.
• ManageEngine sets a bold goal of 30% annual growth.

The digital transformation trend is taking off in Malaysia, fueled by substantial investment and enthusiastic government and private sector adoption. This shift is particularly noticeable among SMBs, enterprises, and within ManageEngine’s customer base.

Moreover, industry trends indicate a significant increase in internet use, with nearly 30 million online users. Digital adoption is growing at 30%, with the digital economy and startups contributing almost 90% to the GDP.

The journey of Malaysia in the digital age

According to Arun Kumar, Regional Director for Asia Pacific at ManageEngine, the adoption of digital transformation is accelerating across Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia. However, this rapid progression does not come without challenges, cybersecurity being one of them.

“As organizations fully embrace and invest in digital transformation, they must understand that their existing cybersecurity practices may become obsolete,” Kumar stated. He explained that digital transformation inevitably involves adopting cloud technologies, a mobile-first approach, and a remote work model.

Kumar elaborated that in the past, an organization’s data and infrastructure were safely confined within the company’s premises, allowing a secure infrastructure to address most cybersecurity challenges effectively. However, the present situation is markedly different. Data now partly resides within an organization’s infrastructure and partly with third-party cloud vendors, and mobile-connected employees can work from anywhere. The rise of bring-your-own-device policies further disperses data.

This change means that traditional cybersecurity practices can become problematic, if not obsolete, requiring organizations to adapt to a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Referencing industry reports focusing on Malaysia, Kumar highlighted organizations’ current cybersecurity challenges. A significant 82% of Malaysian customers reported data loss as a primary concern, a claim corroborated by incident reports showing 57% of incidents result in data loss.

Concerns about business interruptions and costs incurred are next, with 64% of Malaysian organizations expressing these worries. Moreover, Malaysia has suffered more cyberattacks than any other Southeast Asian country, with 76% of surveyed organizations reporting at least one cyberattack in recent years. To address these cybersecurity threats, Malaysian organizations tend to invest in network security monitoring (83%), cloud migration (78%), and increasing their security budget/spending (77%).

Best practices for cybersecurity

Maintaining robust cybersecurity in today’s digital age requires a comprehensive approach encompassing various vital practices. Organizations must establish clear security policies, containing guidelines for data protection, access controls, and incident response and enforce them rigorously.

Employees should be educated about the dangers of phishing attacks and trained to verify the authenticity of messages before sharing sensitive information. Regular security audits are crucial to identify and address system, network, and application vulnerabilities. Organizations should embrace emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI-driven security tools, and behavioral analytics to bolster digital asset security as part of their cyber defense strategy.

Sharing success stories and case studies can also inspire best practices across the organization and foster a culture of security awareness. By providing continuous employee awareness training, organizations can empower their staff to contribute to the overall security posture and mitigate cyber threats effectively.

ManageEngine’s pledge to Malaysian businesses

In response to escalating cyber threats, ManageEngine has announced its ambitious plan to achieve a year-on-year growth target of 30%. The company aims to capitalize on Southeast Asia’s reputation as a hyper-growth market through strategic investments over the next five years. With an established customer base of over 5,000 organizations in the region, the company is well-positioned for further growth.

To reach its growth objectives, ManageEngine plans to expand its recruitment efforts in the top five markets: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The company aims to strengthen its market presence and deepen customer relationships in these critical areas by investing in local talent.

“Malaysian businesses are realizing the benefits of digitization and have a digitally-savvy population,” said Kumar. “They also understand the importance of protecting their assets from cyber threats. We aim to equip Malaysian businesses with the necessary tools and technologies to safeguard their digital assets, protect sensitive information, and maintain a secure IT environment.”

Driven by the urgent need to address the ever-changing security landscape and adapt to evolving cybersecurity requirements, ManageEngine’s commitment to the Malaysian market is steadfast. Leveraging its AI-driven solutions, ManageEngine equips Malaysian enterprises with the critical tools to protect their digital assets, detect anomalies, and respond quickly to potential threats.

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