KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) today launched its Cyber and Electromagnetic Command (BSEP) in preparation to counter any cyber and electromagnetic threats.
Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang said the establishment of the command was aimed at strengthening the development of existing defence capabilities to face current threats with increasing complexity.
He said cyber and electromagnetic threats cannot be underestimated because they involve various issues and the country would succumb to these threats should no preparations be made.
“The explosion in borderless communication technology has led to many irresponsible parties to consider such threats, which can indirectly expose flaws in the country’s defence and security,” he said at a media conference after the launch of BSEP at Kompleks Haigate.
BSEP is the transformation of the Armed Forces’ Communications and Electronic Defence Command (KOMLEK), established in 1993, which has undergone several revamps and rebrandings.
Affendi said BSEP would focus on cyber electromagnetic activities (CEMA) as a new domain in its list of priorities without changing its conventional role, namely development and management, communication aspects, information and communication technology as well as the electromagnetic domain.
The establishment of BSEP will strengthen the central monitoring and network defence that acts as the main ‘firewall’ protecting the strategic national defence communication network, he added.
“In general, BSEP will act as the leading agency for the Armed Forces and the Defence Ministry to coordinate all cyber and electromagnetic issues.
“With this, the BSEP command and control will be more organised, managed and efficient because all cyber electromagnetic domain activity implementation will be centralised under a single command,” he said.
Affendi also announced Rear Admiral Datuk Shamsuddin Ludin as BSEP as the command’s director-general.
— BERNAMA
