Hackers Demand US$10 Million Ransom
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) recently became the target of a cyberattack, causing disruption to its digital systems. The MAHB cyberattack, which occurred in late March 2025, involved hackers demanding a ransom of US$10 million. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed the details of the cyberattack on MAHB during his speech at the 218th Police Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur.
In his address, Prime Minister Anwar disclosed that the cyberattack on MAHB took place “a day or two ago.” However, he assured the public that the government remained resolute in not giving in to the hackers’ demands. Instead, he highlighted the government’s commitment to bolstering the country’s cybersecurity by allocating additional resources to strengthen Malaysia’s defenses against future cyber threats.
Key Details into the MAHB Cyberattack and Government Response
“Yesterday we discussed the severity of cyberattacks, and it has been quite intense against MAHB in the past couple of days,” said Anwar. “The hackers’ demand was for funds amounting to approximately 10 million dollars.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Anwar made it clear that the government would not succumb to criminal extortion. “I was informed, thank God it was Ramadan, I didn’t wait five seconds, I immediately answered no,” he said. “There is no way this country will be safe if its leadership and system allow us to submit to the ultimatum of criminals or traitors, whether domestic or foreign.”
While the Prime Minister did not go into further detail about the specifics of the MAHB cyberattack or whether it had been fully resolved, his comments highlighted the severity of the incident and the need for continued vigilance. He emphasized that this attack is a reminder of the vulnerability of Malaysia’s digital infrastructure and the importance of investing in cybersecurity.
Government and Media Responds to the Attack
The cyberattack on MAHB has sparked concern among both the public and officials. Former Wangsa Maju MP, Wee Choo Keong, raised alarms on social media, questioning whether MAHB had been the victim of a cyberattack after noticing disruptions at both Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2. In a post on X, Wee reported that flight information displays were affected during the incident, with arrival and departure details manually updated on whiteboards, reported Free Malaysia Today.
Social media users shared similar accounts of the situation, noting that the check-in counters and baggage handling systems were also impacted by what was reported to be a 10-hour outage. However, details regarding the cyberattack on MAHB remained scarce, and neither MAHB nor the Ministry of Transport issued an official statement at the time of writing.
Despite the lack of an official response, there are indications that the cyberattack may have been part of a larger trend of rising cyber threats against critical infrastructure globally. In Malaysia, there have been increasing concerns about vulnerabilities within the country’s digital systems. The MAHB data breach is the latest in a series of cyber incidents that have drawn attention to the need for stronger cybersecurity measures.
