Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s commitment and transparency in tackling cybercrime have drawn praise from the Head of the Cybercrime Division of the Council of Europe, Alexander Seger, who believes that the country is more prepared than it gives itself credit for.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, speaking at the Cyber Games 2025 hosted here, Seger commended Malaysia’s proactive stance in strengthening its cybersecurity framework through legal reforms, including the adoption of the Cyber Security Act and ongoing public consultations on the Cybercrime Bill.

Seger noted, “What I have seen in recent years is a tremendous determination by the Malaysian authorities to get their act together.” He also appreciated the openness of the authorities, highlighting that not every government is willing to discuss draft legislation in such detail, describing this transparency as commendable.

With over two decades of experience in cybercrime policy, Seger expressed confidence in Malaysia’s technical expertise and institutional capacity to engage more actively on the international stage, particularly in multilateral treaties such as the Budapest Convention. He mentioned that although Malaysian authorities were previously unsure about joining the Convention due to perceived capability gaps, the country is actually in a good position compared to many others, possessing better skills and more specialised institutions than it acknowledges.

The Budapest Convention, opened for signature in 2001, remains the only binding international treaty dedicated to addressing cybercrime. Seger stressed the importance of global cooperation, legal reforms, and increasing public awareness in mitigating the impact of cyber threats, noting that only a very small percentage of the millions of daily cyberattacks are successful, indicating that the system is effective.

Highlighting the historical context, Seger remarked that cybercrime is not a new phenomenon, with academic and policy interest dating back several decades. He cited early academic work on cybercrime in Germany in the 1970s and the Council of Europe’s focus on computer-related crime since the early 1980s.

Seger also praised Malaysia’s regional leadership in cybersecurity, particularly as the host of the Cyber Games 2025, which attracted 120 participants from 40 countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, and others.