Siemens Energy picks Malaysia for its first APAC cybersecurity operation center

• Siemens Energy launched the region’s first MDR operational technology cybersecurity operations center (CSOC) in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.
• The company’s only purpose-built facility is engineered to monitor, detect, and mitigate cyberthreats on critical infrastructure such as energy and utilities.
• The chairman of CyberSecurity Malaysia reckons the move is the first solid step in putting Malaysia on the map as a regional cybersecurity powerhouse.

Less than a year after announcing that it had picked Malaysia as a location, German renewable power company Siemens Energy officially launched its first cybersecurity operations center (CSOC) in Asia Pacific. The center, located in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, is also the region’s first managed detection response (MDR) and operational technology (OT) CSOC, made to monitor, detect, and mitigate cyberthreats on critical infrastructure such as energy and utilities.

During the launch, Siemens Energy’s executive board member, Karim Amin, said that the company picked Malaysia as their choice mainly due to the extensive support received from the local government. He reckons that “Malaysia is well-positioned in the Asia-Pacific region as a regional hub for cybersecurity talent and investment.”

Karim also emphasized in his keynote address that for the energy transition to succeed, Siemens Energy must build a more mature energy value chain in the Asia-Pacific region. “Developing a resilient cybersecurity landscape is an integral part of this,” he added. In hindsight, CyberSecurity Malaysia chairman Dr. Zulkifeli Bin Mohd Zin believes that Siemens Energy selecting Malaysia as the location of its first CSOC in the Asia Pacific is a solid first step in putting the country on the map as a regional cybersecurity powerhouse.

According to Siemens Energy, the center harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) and a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts to provide monitoring, detection, and timely crisis support to secure businesses’ operating environment 24/7 and ensure operational continuity. The MDR solutions, powered by Eos.ii, an intelligent software platform, transforms vast amounts of data into intelligence that enables human analysts to defend physical and digital assets effectively.

“With the new CSOC, the company will be able to provide crucial advanced OT cybersecurity services to customers across the region and beyond, leveraging lessons learned from different use cases to continually refine its services further while remaining at the vanguard of cybersecurity trends to protect its customers proactively,” Siemens Energy stated in a statement.

When asked about investments, Karim said the Siemens Energy CSOC in Malaysia is projected to have an inflow of more than RM10 million in the next two to three years and up to RM15 to RM20 million over the next five years. On top of capital investments, Siemens Energy will also collaborate with a local university, University Tenaga Nasional, to train young local talents with the skill sets and tools necessary to become cybersecurity professionals.

The move by Siemens Energy is a timely one considering how the energy sector has been the leading target for cybercriminals, with an uptick in both attempted and successful attacks since the prime days of the pandemic and remote working. The sector relies on inherently complex and distributed infrastructure, meaning there is a large ‘surface area’ for an attack. It is also considered a late digital adapter with a relative lack of cybersecurity expertise.

---

---

---

---