THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 APRIL 2019

COURSE FOCUS
Entangled in the web
By SRIMAYEE SEN SARMA

“WHEN talking about technology, rarely do

we acknowledge that it also has a dark side.
It is a double-edged sword that comes with
security challenges in the form of cyber
threats,” says CyberSecurity Malaysia chief
executive officer Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab.
“Cybercrime is a fast-growing area of
crime and with the advancement of
technology, people are exploiting the speed,
convenience and anonymity of the Internet
to commit a diverse range of criminal
activities.”
Gone are the days when cybercrimes
were mostly committed by lone computer
wizards who may have done the deed purely
out of mischief or in a bid to show off.
Cybercrime has now grown to become an
organised industry with customised, easily
accessible tools for hackers to make easy
money.
Take for example, the Bangladesh Bank
heist, where US$101mil (RM411mil) was
reportedly stolen when attackers used
custom malware to transfer the money and
hide their tracks. Or the massive data breach
in 2017 that saw the personal information of
46.2 million Malaysians leaked online,
marking it the biggest cybercrime in local
history.
Such attacks, leaks and hacks are
becoming increasingly common, so much so
that Cybersecurity Ventures – an American
research company that provides global
cybersecurity facts and figures – predicts
that by 2021, the world will face an
estimated loss of US$6 trillion (RM24.5 With the increase in data hosted in the digital world, it only makes sense that we need cybersecurity experts to protect and manage that
trillion) annually, up from US$3 trillion data appropriately.
(RM12.2 trillion) in 2015.
While there are experts who understand for dedicated cybersecurity experts will years, there has been a stubborn shortage of professionals is vast, from purely technical
cyberspace and use technology to fight for decrease anytime soon. cybersecurity professionals. With the work to analytics and management. Unlike
the safety of all Internet users, there is a dire Malaysia is heading towards a digital business direction of almost every industry what many believe, cybersecurity
need for more such professionals. economy as well, and as emphasised by moving towards adopting digital professionals do not just design and install
Cybersecurity Ventures estimates there will National Cyber Security Agency chief technologies for business efficiency, we antivirus software and put up robust
be around 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity executive Md Shah Nuri, “In order to foster expect the demand to only increase.” firewalls to protect a network. It is a wide
positions worldwide by 2021, and although it a digital economy, we need to establish the field and covers other jobs, such as policy
is predicted that all university courses will
include modules on cyber safety in the near
right ecosystem for a resilient cyberspace,
and cybersecurity plays a significant role in
The rise of the protectors creation and governance, as well.

future, it is highly doubtful that the demand supporting this ecosystem. For the past few The job scope of cybersecurity > TURN TO PAGE 2

Forefront of innovation
THE emergence of artificial intelligence (AI)
is expected to drastically change our lives in
the not too distant future. Some terms that
were once considered jargon such as big
data, machine learning and Internet of
Things will soon impact our lives and
redefine the way we work. This is a global
phenomenon and the only way forward is to
embrace and capitalise on it.
Against this backdrop, Tunku Abdul
Rahman University College (TAR UC) has
taken the step to embrace technological
innovation through the establishment of its
Integrated Innovation Hub (I² Hub), which
was launched on Aug 1. The I² Hub will help
TAR UC synergise the latest developments in
technology towards enhancing the education
and learning experience. By integrating
relevant expertise from different faculties
within TAR UC, the hub acts as a catalyst
where creative innovations and ground-
breaking applications are discovered,
especially in its four areas of focus – Smart
Campus for Education 4.0, Industry 4.0,
Agriculture 4.0 and Corporate Social
Responsibility.
Through the hub, TAR UC students have
the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with
their lecturers in real-world industry and
research projects, which expose them to the
latest trends and developments taking place
in the workplace today.
Cashierbook is a project under the I² Hub
and involves the participation of TAR UC
students. It is an app that uses social media
analytics and blockchain technology to
enable fast and secure e-commerce
transactions. Its target users are end-
consumers and retailers, who can use the
Cashierbook platform to carry out authentic
online transactions through blockchain
verification and use social media analytics
to provide intelligent recommendations for
a targeted and effective e-commerce
experience.
TAR UC Bachelor of Computer Science
(Hons) student Johnson Chin See How is
part of the team currently managing the
Cashierbook app, which went live in August
last year. “This is a fulfilling part of my
student life because I am gaining valuable
experience by helping manage and
troubleshoot an actual mobile app.
Although I have prior experience in
developing apps through my coursework
assignments, it is not the same as actually
managing an app that has gone live on
Android and iOS. People are using the app
and there is a lot of expectation in ensuring Johnson Chin (left) in a discussion with his Cashierbook team members at TAR UC’s
the app is constantly functioning well. The Integrated Innovation Hub.
demands are high but I believe my fellow
team members and I are well guided by our Industry 4.0 solutions. Through the analytics and AI applications in the supply
lecturer, Dr Tang Tiong Yew, who is the collaboration of expertise from different TAR chain, Kian Joo will move closer to the goal
main lead for Cashierbook. UC faculties, the area of focus is in creating of becoming the first local industry player
“On top of this, a lot of technical and utilising Industry 4.0 solutions, including in Malaysia to fully adopt Industry 4.0,”
knowledge and skills we have gained from machine-to-machine communication, big says Ang.
our degree programme has helped us a lot data analytics and incorporating AI into the
when managing the app. For instance, the decision-making processes in businesses. n Explore TAR UC’s industry-relevant
Software Evolution and Maintenance For example, Kian Joo Can Factory Bhd programmes at TAR UC’s Open Day from
subject in my degree programme helps me has engaged TAR UC’s expertise to increase now until Apr 28, from 9am to 5pm at
understand the technical problems users efficiency and productivity in its production TAR UC campuses in Kuala Lumpur,
face and how to troubleshoot those line. Kian Joo general manager Ang Kok Jun Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah.
problems,” he says. has expressed confidence that the Attractive scholarships are also available
TAR UC’s I² Hub has also paved the way partnership will achieve the factory’s goal of in TAR UC on the basis of academic merit
for it to provide consultancy services to implementing Industry 4.0 in its operations. and sibling discount for qualified students.
industries in implementing real-time “Through TAR UC’s support in big data Alternatively, visit www.tarc.edu.my
2 Computing, Technology, Arts & Design
Dynamic and ever-changing field
Cybercrimes can only
be properly handled
when the wider public
is educated about
threats and maintaining
safety in cyberspace.
> FROM PAGE 1
Apart from working as technical
support, cybersecurity experts can
also work as:
l Testers, whose job is to find
loopholes in the security system,
so they must know how to hack, in
addition to understanding hacking
l Trainers, who educate people
on cybersecurity
l Researchers, who are
responsible for finding out the
best and latest protection methods
l Sleuths, to investigate
cybercrimes and catch criminals
l Lecturers, who are professors
of cybersecurity
For students aspiring to pursue
this challenging career, there are
many universities in Malaysia
offering courses in cybersecurity,
but Syed Zainudeen Mohd Shaid,
senior lecturer at Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia’s School of
Computing, believes that a course
in cybersecurity can only provide
basic technical knowledge.
“Degree programmes equip
students with the fundamental
knowledge required to enable
students to have a solid base for
starting their career in
cybersecurity, but it is a dynamic
field where new things pop up
almost daily. Hence, there is a
need to constantly learn and
relearn in order to stay relevant.”
Shah agrees, saying, “Those
interested in the field of
cybersecurity should develop
foundations in network,
programming, system and
application knowledge in order
to understand the components
within the cyber infrastructure.
“That said, in the field of
cybersecurity, what’s more
important is the ability and
interest to constantly learn.
Cybersecurity professionals move
across sectors and often need to
quickly learn and understand the
business processes within an
organisation before they can
identify security risks and form
treatment plans. A sense of
inquisitiveness, good analytical
thinking and passion will go a
long way.”
Dr Amirudin adds, “We are
already working with complex
technologies such as cloud
computing, Internet of Things
and Big Data, and it will get even
more complex with emerging
trends of fintech, blockchain,
artificial intelligence and
autonomous vehicles, so we need
a diversified cybersecurity
workforce that will be able to
respond to the increasing
number of cyber attacks.”
This can only be achieved
when there is close collaboration
between education institutes,
industries and government
bodies, ensuring that emerging
talents in this field are trained
and guided in the right direction.
Syed Zainudeen believes
cybersecurity courses in
Malaysia are mostly at basic or
intermediate level, but are on par
with international standards.
However, with the number of
Internet users growing at an
unprecedented rate, it is not
humanly possible for the handful
of security professionals to
safeguard all. As Dr Amirudin
points out, “With the current
risks, threats and number of
attacks, cybersecurity approach
is no longer only technical, but
also holistic, which includes a lot
of people and processes too.”
Everyone is responsible
Organised cybercrime
uses technology and social
engineering to lure online users
to click on freebies, too-good-to-
be-true deals and fake content in
hopes of embedding malicious
software that can compromise a
device’s security settings and
steal users’ personal information.
Looking at these, the protective
approach cannot depend on a
handful of experts alone, rather,
it should include every single
entity that is a part of cyberspace.
Both Shah and Dr Amirudin
reveal from their experiences
that the wider public is quite
naïve about cybersecurity and
cyber threats, thus the need to
educate audiences on their roles
in strengthening cybersecurity.
Shah stresses, “The challenge is
in minimising the risk with the
use of multilevel defence
THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 APRIL 2019
In the field of
cybersecurity, what’s
more important
is the ability and
interest to constantly
learn. Cybersecurity
professionals move
across sectors and
often need to quickly
learn and understand
the business
processes within an
organisation before
they can identify
security risks and
form treatment plans.
Md Shah Nuri
mechanisms, end to end. This
includes choosing strong
authentication for online access,
not clicking on phishing links,
and avoiding public Wi-Fi for
online banking and other
financial transactions.”
Dr Amirudin believes that this
holds especially true in an
organisational setting.
Individuals need to be made
aware of the different kinds of
cyber threats so that they can
protect their workstations and, in
turn, enforce protection for the
entire organisation.
“If an organisation thinks that
it is protected because it has high-
end antiviruses and firewalls in
place, it cannot be more wrong,
because an organisation’s
weakest link is its people.”
For instance, attacks and
exploits can occur if an employee
clicks on a malicious link in an
email, website or application
advertisement. It can lead to
various types of malware
infection, such as ransomware,
which locks down files or
devices, a Trojan virus, which
steals credentials, and
cryptomining malware, which
uses up computing resources.
“In complex cybercrime cases,
there are multiple actors
involved in the scam, malware
distribution, remote command
and control and financial
transactions. The crime scene, so
to speak, is spread across
multiple end-users’ devices, third-
party applications and cloud-
based services, which require
speed and cooperation from the
various parties involved,” says
Shah.
“We foresee greater challenges
with the adoption of Internet of
Things, Industry 4.0 and
digitalisation in the Critical
National Information
Infrastructure.”
Looking at these challenges,
cybersecurity experts definitely
have an uphill task ahead of
them. From keeping up with
security threats to developing
advanced security software and
picking up online scams, they
now have an additional task of
educating the public.
Dr Amirudin and Shah believe
Malaysia has what it takes to rise
to these challenges. The only
thing missing from the equation
is more experts who can join the
battle.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 APRIL 2019
Fulfilling
the demand
JACK Ma, founder of Chinese
behemoth e-commerce platform
Alibaba, said that technology
exists for people. How will
computer science and
information technology (IT)
contribute to the betterment of
our lives?
Organisations depend on
computer science and IT
professionals to create systems
and networks that will securely
process, transmit, store and
exchange all forms of electronic
data. Evidently, it has
revolutionised the very fabric of
society.
In an Edge Financial Daily
article titled M’sia expected to
spend US$17.6b on technology in
2018, International Data
Corporation Malaysia research
director Pranabesh Nath
mentioned that by 2021, at least
20% of Malaysia’s gross domestic
product will be digitised.
School of Computing
Nilai University offers the
Diploma in Business Information
Technology and Diploma in
Computer Science, both of which
are internationally recognised.
The first offers students a
balanced curriculum of business
knowledge and IT literacy, while
the second prepares students to
execute a wide range of services,
including software analysis and
management, database
administration and design,
programming, and web,
multimedia and systems
development.
The entry requirements for
either option are:
l Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia –
Three Cs, including one in
mathematics
l Unified Examination
Certificate – Three Bs, including
one in mathematics
l Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran
Malaysia/A-Levels – One C and
one credit in SPM Mathematics
l Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia/
Sijil Kecekapan Kemahiran/
Malaysian Qualifications
Framework Level 3 certificate
in a related field – Pass either
certificate as well as SPM, with
one credit in SPM Mathematics
Both programmes take 2.5
years to complete and are
equivalent to the first year of the
three bachelor’s programmes
listed below. Diploma graduates
proceed directly to year two of
the bachelor’s programmes.
l Bachelor of Computer
Science (Hons) (Software
Engineering) – Aims to provide
students with a solid foundation
of the concept and underlying
principles of software
engineering. The syllabus
contains more software-related
courses and places greater
emphasis on cultivating
understanding of and
experience in the software
process. This programme equips
students with the knowledge
and skills necessary to analyse,
design, develop, test and
implement, evaluate, maintain
and document large-scale
software systems.
l Bachelor of Information
Technology (Hons) – Provides
students with technical and
Computing, Technology, Arts & Design 3
Nilai University
aims to produce
competent IT and
computer science
graduates who are
knowledgeable
about the industry
but versatile enough
to adapt to the
changes Industry
4.0 will bring.
There are gaps in
employment waiting
to be filled in the IT
industry, both locally
and internationally.
Malaysia is still not
producing enough
graduates to meet
the demand, but
Nilai University
certainly hopes to
fulfil at least part
of it.
creative thinking courses with
emphasis on skills development
in the technical areas of
computer hardware and
software architecture,
including the design of
technological information and
computing systems as solutions
to business support.
l Bachelor of Information
Technology (Hons) (Internet
Engineering and Cloud
Computing) – Emphasises the
concept and fundamental
principles of Internet
engineering and cloud
computing. Students will be
equipped with the knowledge
and skills necessary to plan,
design, implement, manage
and maintain computer
networking of cloud and
Internet, as well as security
components of both.
School of Computing head
Harlina Harun shares, “In the
final year, undergraduate
students are required to
conduct research and submit a
final-year project where they
will apply and develop
innovative processes in image
processing, speech processing,
data science, cloud computing,
security, machine learning,
game and animation software
tools, decision support systems
and networking. Final-year
students will also undergo 16
weeks of internship.”
Harlina adds that IT jobs are
available in almost any
industry, including education,
aviation, medicine, military,
hospitality, tourism and
finance. More importantly, IT
graduates will have the know-
how to be self-employed.
However, there are gaps in
employment waiting to be filled
in the IT industry, both locally
and internationally. Malaysia is
still not producing enough
graduates to meet the demand,
but Nilai University certainly
hopes to fulfil at least part of it.
Nilai University has intakes
in April and May. Up to 100%
scholarships await, so enquire
today.
n For more information, call
Nilai University’s education
counsellors at 06-850 2308
(Monday to Friday, 9am to
5pm) or visit www.nilai.edu.my.
Alternatively, visit the campus
in Nilai.
4 Course Focus
Introducing
order and
structure in
Internet forums
SIFTING through the Internet’s sea of content
can be exhausting. When you look online for
quality answers, how do you decide what to
read? Imagine this challenge in massive
Internet forums such as Reddit, where
thousands of new posts and comments are
submitted by users daily.
How can social media sites organise all
this content so that you, the individual user,
can easily find what’s relevant, accurate or
meaningful? Three Monash University
academics contributed towards answering
this question through their research on
algorithms.
Using big data to predict good
content
Lim Wern Han from Monash Malaysia,
Mark James Carman from Monash
University Caulfield Campus and Jojo Wong
from Monash University Clayton Campus
drew on their experience in data science to
propose and test several algorithms for how
well they could predict quality content on
Reddit, one of the world’s most popular
websites.
They found that it is possible to predict if a
forum user will produce quality comments
in the future by using algorithms that learn
user behaviours over large sets of data.
These findings can be applied beyond Reddit
to other websites such as online question-
answering platforms.
This application is especially useful for
websites that lack the manpower of editors
or moderators yet handle thousands of user-
submitted comments.
The Reddit challenge
The scope of the study was five popular
subforums on Reddit: Science, World News,
Gaming, Explain Like I’m Five, and (the
United States) Politics, which encompass
300,000 posts and 1.5 million comments.
Given the volume of content, it is a
challenge for Reddit users to
quickly identify helpful comments
in popular discussions, despite
the voting feature Reddit has.
Users can upvote a comment
they like or show their
disapproval by giving a downvote.
However, the system is limited in
its ability to identify quality
comments and push good content
to the top of the page quickly,
as it takes time for votes
to be collected –
something known as
Lim and two fellow Monash researchers are paving the way to improved information literacy
and optimisation on Internet forums.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 APRIL 2019
the “cold start” problem.
Lim, Carman and Wong’s research could
improve how content is organised in
websites such as Reddit. The algorithms they
tested can be used to predict which users will
contribute quality content and which ones
are malicious and unhelpful. Their study
focused on measuring user expertise, with
the assumption that users of higher expertise
tend to produce content of higher quality.
Features to measure user
expertise
The researchers experimented with
various online features to estimate user
expertise or ability to produce good
comments. The features were used to deduce
the credit gained by users for their
contribution. Information can then be
propagated through a statistical pairwise
comparison approach to quantify user
expertise.
Users should be rewarded with higher
scores for posting content that is better than
average rather than having their scores
inflated or normalised, as is done by some
Internet forums. Meanwhile, users who
submit poor-quality or malicious content
should be penalised.
Based on their relative performance, users’
posts can be better promoted or restricted by
websites. The identified experts can even be
approached to contribute new quality
content or solve complex problems.
Quality comments can be
predicted
User votes can be used to predict a user’s
likelihood of submitting quality comments.
The research outcome enables social
platforms to circumvent expensive
processing of natural language and other
multimedia content. With the high volume of
user-generated content today, such
capability is highly desired.
Using algorithms, social platforms
can improve how their content is
ranked or organised for reader
consumption – resulting in a high
density of knowledge on the World
Wide Web.
n For information on the programmes
available at Monash University
Malaysia’s School of
Information Technology,
visit www.monash.edu.
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