One year into Malaysia’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, building a strong cyber foundation

• Expansion of curriculum for self-paced online training for govt staff, scholarships for women & underserved
• Develop right skills & capabilities to help combat new-age threats, including Canadian-funded courses for all

The Malaysia Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE) was established in Cyberjaya, Selangor over a year ago with the lofty aim of not only offering world-class cybersecurity skilling programs to Malaysians, but to Southeast Asia in support of the Malaysian government’s ambitions to be a leader in cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region. The CCoE is one of various ongoing initiatives that Malaysia is executing as it works toward achieving this ambition.

Having crossed the one-year mark, BlackBerry said it is pleased with the forward progress of the CCoE, which was established in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the telco regulator that also oversees cybersecurity from a network aspect. The MCMC hosts the CCoE at its premises.

The establishment of the CCoE couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for Malaysia as the nation has already made strides in rising to become a Tier One status nation in the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) annual Global Cybersecurity Index, as evidenced by the Sept 2024 release of the index.

“Malaysia is taking great strides in policy frameworks and advanced technology adoption to become as a regional leader in cybersecurity readiness — yet a critical challenge remains: developing a workforce equipped for tomorrow’s threats,” said Jaclyn Sim (pic), BlackBerry’s CCoE Training Manager, stressing that, “We believe the world-class curriculum at the CCoE can make a positive impact on the cyber resiliency of Malaysia. Together with the MCMC and other government agencies we are collaborating with, we hope to help build a strong foundation for a cyber resilient future.”

Demonstrating that it recognises the urgency of the mission to train and upskill talent in Malaysia and the region in cybersecurity knowledge, even prior to its official opening in late March 2024, the CCoE had already conducted its first training program.  On the day of its opening, the certificates were presented to the pioneering batch of graduates by Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim (pic) – underlining the national importance of addressing the nation’s cyber skills gap.

Malaysia’s cybersecurity leadership ambitions received a further boost in Nov 2024, when the CCoE received backing from the Government of Canada, which announced C$3.9 million in funding to support cybersecurity training programs aimed at strengthening capacity building and enhancing overall cyber resilience in Southeast Asia.  The first phase of this program was announced July 30, with registrations now open for the (generously-funded) Certifications for Leadership in Cybersecurity (CLIC) to commence in November.

CLIC is a part-time and intensive six-month cybersecurity training and certification program offered by Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, designed to provide the skills needed to launch or elevate a career in cybersecurity. Open to everyone, the course will be offered in Malaysia fully online (with some optional in-person activities) through the CCoE, enabling flexible, self-paced learning.  

BlackBerry has also recently announced a new partnership with EC-Council Learning, to offer additional self-paced learning for Malaysian Government employees.  It offers a range of courses though an enhanced cybersecurity skill development platform, helping more men and women to achieve sought-after cybersecurity certifications and upskill in their own time.

“We understand that people are time poor and have many other work and family commitments, which is why we are working with our partners and with the Canadian and Malaysian Governments to expand our options for self-paced learning,” added Sim. As such, a flexible delivery of programs has been introduced with a mix of physical and remote classes. She noted that the CCoE is already attracting course participants from Southeast Asia and India to Cyberjaya.

Another positive trend observed at the CCoE is in the strong interest women have shown in its programs. With interest in cybersecurity careers following the same male-dominated trend in technology overall, BlackBerry is happy to report that in a break from this trend, its CCoE is attracting many women to the facility who either want to upskill or hone their  craft as cyber-professionals. “To date, over 40% of attendees at the CCOE have been women, and BlackBerry is working with its partners to encourage wider diversity, inclusion and access for more men and women to further their careers and boost cyber-resilience, nationwide.”

To mark the first anniversary, the Malaysia CCoE hosted an all-day event in early May – including an opening ceremony, panels and talks, and an exciting Capture the Flag (CTF) Competition, with 50 students from 16 universities competing for prizes. Several new initiatives were announced to mark the occasion, including cybersecurity training scholarships for numerous women cyber-defenders with the ISC2 Malaysia Chapter and a partnership with 42KL, a tuition-free, self-paced computer science academy, to sponsor 25 CompTIA ITF+ certifications for individuals with limited access to traditional education opportunities. 

It closely followed an announcement on May 6^th with Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp) to launch the CyberNext Program, a national initiative designed to equip Malaysian students and educators with essential cybersecurity skills, starting with free cybersecurity training for 1,000 students and 250 lecturers at the world-class facility.

With the Malaysian government ambitiously targeting to train 30,000 cyber security professionals by 2030, the country certainly cannot afford to see a gender gap in its cybersecurity talent pool, especially when over 55% of its university graduates are women.  This is why it is critical to ensure that wider access to courses and flexibility is built into the programs – with a particular focus on training for government employees. 

It has also increased efforts to raise awareness of the CCoE and attract more participants with a dedicated CCoE LinkedIn page, giving radio interviews, running ads and conducting introductory workshops.

In the following condensed Q&A, BlackBerry shares more about the value and relevance of the CCoE.

Q. What makes the BlackBerry Curriculum at the CCOE stand out from what is already  available in Malaysia and through specialist platforms such as Hack The Box, Immersive  Labs, Cyber Range and many others?

The mission of the Malaysia Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCoE) is to provide the most comprehensive set of certifications available in Southeast Asia to meet the various needs of students and employers. 

Today, despite only being a year young, we believe the CcoE already stands as a global example of best practice of how industry and government unite to tackle shared challenges, including cybersecurity upskilling and capacity building. 

Since then, in fitting with our mission to be a world class CCoE, the range of courses, workshops and peer networking has grown from strength to strength. 

The CCoE offers a comprehensive curriculum for talent in the region, catering for everyone, whether they are new to cyber security, looking to upskilling within their current role, or looking to add specialist or leadership skills to their portfolio. It includes fundamentals to educate talent about general cyber awareness and equip them with appropriate skills; but also to grow a skilled cybersecurity workforce and  ecosystem in Malaysia and the region.

As well as courses from globally-accredited institutions, CompTIA, Sans Institute, ICS2, and Rogers Cyber Secure Catalyst (the Catalyst) and EC Council for cyber-professionals and leaders, it offers dedicated BlackBerry courses to help customers or individuals to better understand how the technology can enable a more cyber resilient organisation. 

To just highlight some of the programs: 

i. Fundamental basics to grow cybersecurity awareness (entry level).

ii. Industry Certifications partnering with global leaders as mentioned above.

iii. Training Courses (pre-built on generic topics as well as core cyber solutions). iv. Specialized education (role-based education that could be customized to focus on specific skills  – from SOCadmins, threat researchers to CISOs).

v. Regular networking and crowd-sourced learning opportunities – facilitated by events and  community participation.

vi. University Programs – working hand in hand with academic institutions to foster skills, and  support the long-term goal to develop cyber talent in region.

vii. Private sector programs such as job rotations, internships and graduate recruitment programs.

Q. With over a year of running the CcoE under your belt, what have been some of the key learnings and how are the modules today better suited to meet the skills needed by Malaysia and the wider Southeast Asia region?

Now operational for a year, the CCOE is a proud achievement for all parties involved and a solid example of public and private sector cooperation, but it is important to note that we are only just beginning.

As the digital landscape changes, people and technology must continually adapt. For example, in 2024, the world started to see a spike in cyber-criminals targeting mobile devices and communications infrastructure, including telco-network attacks in the United States. This sends a strong message to all nations to be prepared for any such risk, and that includes how we train our people – our front line of defence. 

One of the more immediate learnings at the CCOE this year, is that we recognise people are time poor and have many other work and family commitments. That is why we are further expanding our self-paced training programs for any Malaysian pursuing a career in cyber and ensuring that government employees have greater access to a mix of online and in-person courses also at their own pace, offering greater access and flexibility. 

With the emergence new and complex threats arising such as advanced deepfakes, voice and audio frauds, and sophisticated targeted phishing attacks, BlackBerry is contributing its expertise and technology – together with the MCMC and other government and training partners, to help trainees through the CCOE develop the right skills, expertise and capabilities to help combat these new-age threats. 

Q. While the market is aware that your courses are targeted at the public sector, can the corporate sector send staff, and can individuals join as well? Also, how are you promoting  the CCoE to create awareness of its programs?

Let us clarify that.  The CCoE offers something for everyone – however some of the courses we deliver are dedicated programs for government employees, such as the courses offered through EC—Council.

We are certainly very focused on helping to upskill and train Malaysian Government employees and leaders – but we have a mix of people attending across the private and public sector, from students to professionals, pursuing careers in cybersecurity or developing highly specialized skills and globally recognized certifications.  We even have students coming all the way from other countries to attend our courses.

Last year, BlackBerry was very proud to receive the prestigious Cyber Security (Service) Innovation at Malaysia’s Cyber Security Awards 2024, in recognition of our commitment to building capacity, boosting cyber-resilience and supporting Malaysia’s journey to becoming a secure digital nation.  However, this cannot be achieved without the support and deep collaboration with our government partners, especially the MCMC.

Q. As Malaysia is now the 2025 ASEAN Chair, how do you see the CCoE playing an expanded role in supporting the wider region?

Malaysia recognises the value in international cooperation to achieve its goals, and the economic growth impact that upskilling in cybersecurity can bring. Not only to narrow the skills gap – but to create high-value jobs and opportunities for Malaysians and the wider regional benefits. This is ever more important in 2025, with Malaysia in the role of Chair of ASEAN.

The facility is fast becoming an internationally recognised hub of cybersecurity excellence. In Nov 2024, the CCoE received backing from the Government of Canada, when it announced a C$3.9 million funding to support cybersecurity training programs and threat intelligence initiatives aimed at strengthening capacity building and enhancing overall cyber resilience in Southeast Asia.

Canada’s support is being delivered by BlackBerry in partnership with the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, with a goal to train cyber-defenders from Malaysia and other ASEAN member countries. Announced in July, this initiative furthers global public-private sector collaboration in the battle against rising digital threats, is aligned with Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, and establishes Malaysia as a hub of regional cybersecurity excellence in Southeast Asia.

This also includes dedicated programs for women, expanding what is already on offer at the world-class CCoE. The aim is to help more men and women take advantage of the region’s most in-demand cybersecurity roles and establish the CCoE as a regional destination for learning and intelligence-sharing.

The CCoE’s immersive curriculum supports growth across all skill levels – from leaders to beginners, designed to help prepare Malaysia’s cyber-defenders to excel in the cyber workforce and defend the nation’s digital  borders. Together with the MCMC, we believe making the CCoE curriculum more accessible and flexible can make a positive impact on the cyber resiliency of Malaysia, and BlackBerry is proud to contribute.