Banking systems airtight despite hack attempts, defacement: Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s online banking infrastructure and financial transaction networks remain fully secure and compromised by neither data theft nor operational disruption, despite targeted intrusions by non-state actors. Communications Minister and Madani Government spokesperson Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil gave this assurance today following the recent defacement of Bank Rakyat’s third-party managed corporate website. Fahmi confirmed that security audits across the financial ecosystem show hostile attempts have been restricted to peripheral surfaces without penetrating core transactional backends. “So far, we have detected attempts by non-state actors carrying out actions such as hacking, but these have not led to data theft or impacted the online banking system. “Therefore, the banking sector, the financial industry, and online transactions remain secure,” Fahmi told a Malaysian diaspora gathering after attending the bowling event at the Malaysian Games in Qatar (SUQMA 2026) here today. Also present were Malaysian Ambassador to Qatar Faizal Razali and Malaysian Association of Qatar (MAQ) president Dr Mohd Faris Khamidi. Addressing the Bank Rakyat incident specifically, Fahmi clarified that the attack was limited to an external cosmetic intrusion. “Most recently, Bank Rakyat informed us that its website, managed by a third party, was hacked. However, it was merely web defacement, and the site was taken over,” he said. Bank Rakyat responded immediately by severing access to the compromised server and redirecting users to its proprietary, fully secure i-Rakyat portal. The minister revealed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had, since early last week, directed the National Security Council (NSC) to assess emerging hybrid and cyber security threats targeting critical national infrastructure. The comprehensive audit covers internet backbones, public web portals, and sensitive databases to safeguard state digital assets. Anwar followed up during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting by demanding even tighter scrutiny over all government platforms, commercial banks, and government-linked companies (GLCs), involving both the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) and the NSC. “The Prime Minister requested at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting that the cybersecurity posture of all government assets, banking institutions, and GLCs be examined more deeply, including by NACSA and the NSC,” Fahmi added. Fahmi is leading the Malaysian delegation to the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (ITU PP-26) from Nov 6 to 11. His official mission in Doha includes spearheading Malaysia’s diplomatic bid to retain its seat on the ITU Council for the 2027–2030 term. - November 7, 2026 The post Banking systems airtight despite hack attempts, defacement: Fahmi appeared first on Scoop .