00:00An expert has warned that WhatsApp groups pose a major risk to personal data security,
00:07making users vulnerable to scams and unsolicited messages.
00:11Ian Tan, head of the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University,
00:17Malaysia, said messaging platforms like WhatsApp are among the biggest sources of data leaks.
00:22He said the sharing of sensitive details like names, unit numbers and phone numbers in WhatsApp
00:27groups makes it difficult to control information leaks.
00:31On March 2, digital risk management company Gogolook reported that Malaysia recorded the
00:37highest rate of personal data leaks among key Asian markets, including Taiwan, Thailand,
00:43Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
00:47Meanwhile, Murugesan Thangkaratnam, CEO of cybersecurity company NovumCS, advised users
00:54to avoid clicking on suspicious links and using public Wi-Fi for transactions.
00:59He also said users should adopt strong passwords with multi-factor authentication to prevent scams.
01:06Murugesan said cybersecurity laws have improved, citing the recently enacted Cybersecurity
01:12Act 2024 and the past amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act.
01:17However, Thang warned that while these updates are a step forward, they may not be enough
01:22to keep up with rapidly evolving cyber threats.
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