CYBERJAYA, 9 October 2025: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) School of Computing (SOC), has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) to enhance collaboration in the areas of cybersecurity, expert training, and digital skills development – in alignment with the nation’s digitalisation agenda.
The signing ceremony was officiated by UUM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr Foad Sakdan, and CSM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and SOC Adjunct Professor, Dato’ Ts. Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab.
In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Dato’ Dr Foad Sakdan expressed his heartfelt appreciation to CyberSecurity Malaysia for its trust and willingness to establish strategic cooperation with UUM.
According to him, the occasion marked more than the signing of a document, but it symbolised a shared vision, mutual respect, and a sincere commitment to strengthening academic and industry relations in the field of cybersecurity.
“This MoA reflects the desire of both parties to promote academic excellence, knowledge exchange and innovation development in higher education and digital security. CyberSecurity Malaysia has long played a pivotal role in strengthening national cybersecurity, developing local expertise, and raising public awareness on digital security issues,” he said.
He added that the signing of this MoA, would further reinforce the Master in Cybersecurity programme jointly implemented with CSM, ensuring that the collaboration continues to thrive.
Prof. Dato’ Dr Foad also expressed confidence that this collaboration would not only expand academic capabilities and enrich students’ learning experiences, but would also contribute significantly to the country’s socio-economic development through innovation, research and human capital development.
He also expressed his appreciation to all parties who contributed to the success of the event, expressing hope that this collaboration would continue to flourish, remain intact, and become an excellent model of academia-industry collaboration in the field of cybersecurity at the international level.
To date, a total of 15 graduates have successfully completed the programme within two years, and this number is expected to grow steadily in response to the increasing demand for skilled professionals in the field of cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, CSM Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Roshdi Ahmad, who represented the CEO of CSM, said that the MoA serves as a symbolic bridge between academia and industry, uniting the expertise of both institutions in a joint mission to produce globally competitive graduates and promote international knowledge exchange.
Following the signing ceremony, the UUM delegation had the opportunity to visit MyCyberSecurity Clinic – a specialised facility that offers a range of cybersecurity services including data recovery, digital forensics, and incident response.
The visit was led by Mr. Muhamad Izwandee from CSM, who shared his experience and expertise in the field of information security and data recovery.
The Dean of SOC, Prof. Ts. Dr Osman Ghazali, also expressed keen interest in the clinic’s initiative and hoped that SOC would one day establish MyCyberSecurity Clinic@UUM, envisioned as a cybersecurity hub for the northern region.
According to him, this initiative would not only provide expert services to the community and industry, especially in the field of data recovery and cybersecurity incident management but also reinforce UUM’s role as a leader in cybersecurity education and practice.
