SAINS and Huawei Malaysia partner to boost Sarawak’s cybersecurity and 5G networks

KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS) and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Huawei Malaysia) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Sarawak’s cybersecurity capabilities and accelerate private 5G network adoption.

In a joint statement, it said the MoU aims to deepen cooperation between the two entities to protect digital assets from cyber threats.

This collaboration will involve studying, designing, and implementing robust security solutions such as Huawei’s SecMaster technology and Cloud Bastion Host (CBH) solution.

It explained that the Huawei’s SecMaster will enable integrated and automated security operations through cloud asset and security management, configurable defence policies, and intelligent rapid threat detection and response, while the CBH will provide a centralised security management platform that authorises, authenticates and audits operation and maintenance (O&M) actions, ensuring reduced network security incidents and maintaining the stability of service systems.

“By leveraging the collective design capabilities and implementation strategies of Huawei’s security solutions, effective measures to safeguard Sarawak’s digital assets against cyber threats are expected to be realised by the end of 2024,” it said.

In addition to this, it stated that SAINS and Huawei Malaysia will expand on efforts to accelerate 5G adoption for enterprises in Sarawak through the deployment of Private 5G network technology.

“Unlike consumer-oriented networks, these dedicated 5G private networks are tailored for specific enterprise sites with customisable hardware and software.

“Isolated from public networks, they can be fine-tuned to meet specific security requirements and handle more complex tasks and processes.

“Slated for completion by June 2025, the private 5G network will boost enterprise productivity, security, and scalability for the state’s expanding economic activities,” it said.

Moreover, it added, the collaborative efforts under the MoU will also focus on applications modernisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration using Huawei’s ModelArts, a full-stack, full-lifecycle model development tool chain providing comprehensive AI tools and services to enable rapid service innovation.

“This effort is set to enhance agility, reduce costs, and improve the user experience of State Government services by the end of 2024,” it said.

For the record, the MoU signing ceremony took place at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China where SAINS chief executive officer Busiai Seman signed the MoU on behalf of SAINS while Huawei Malaysia Enterprise Business Group Vice President Michael Zhuang was the signatory for Huawei.