A Singaporean newspaper, Straits Times yesterday has revealed that around 70 documents belonging to the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) have been leaked through the dark web. According to the report, the leaked documents were apparently gathered through hacked e-mail accounts that belonged to military personnel.
Among the information revealed in the leaked documents include its troop strength at certain TLDM and Malaysia Armed Force (ATM) bases during a holiday season last year, alongside naval exam requirements and disciplinary cases involving TLDM officers. There was a letter that contained details of radar equipment and frequencies for a US Navy ship that made a visit to Sabah last year.
TLDM responded to the report a few hours after it was made public through a statement which confirmed that an investigation is already underway.
At the same time, TLDM also said that it has identified the leaked documents as obsolete and have no effect on its operations as well as readiness. Despite the leak, it insists that TLDM’s ICT system which is under the purview of ATM HQ’s Cyber Defence Operation Centre is still well-grounded.
Nevertheless, this is still quite an alarming incident though in which TLDM, ATM, and TUDM, as well as the whole Malaysian defence sector, need to take appropriate action immediately because cyber-attacks are not something that anyone should take lightly at this age and time especially when it is related to the safety of the country.
(Photos: TLDM Official Facebook page.)
