RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: IT security knowledge gets a boost

MULTIMEDIA Development Corporation (MDeC) recently offered a research grant worth RM6.5 million to computer security company, F-Secure Corp Sdn Bhd, with the aim of attracting companies to conduct research and development (R&D).

Froiland says F-Secure is keen on working with local talents

The grant is part of the MSC Strategy Thrust Areas in Research (STAR) programme, which focuses on encouraging world-class technology leaders to set-up R&D centres in MSC Malaysia.

The STAR programme provides a maximum fund of RM7.5 million or 50 per cent of the cost for a two-year duration (whichever is lower) for approved research projects. The applicant is required to employ and train at least 90 per cent local knowledge workers with technology degrees.

Under the programme, F-Secure will carry out three projects namely, Windows Mobile Network Shield, Network Reputation Service and Vulnerability Watch.

The Windows Mobile Network Shield aims to protect Windows Mobile users against malware (computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware) and hacker attacks. The project also focuses on protecting users against attacks on radio protocols such as Bluetooth, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Wireless Fidelity, more commonly known as Wi-Fi.

Network Reputation Service helps detect malicious website or malicious “behaviour” on the Internet while Vulnerability Watch aims to detect system vulnerabilities. The latter helps prevent vulnerabilities and fix problems before malware causes any damage to the computer.

F-Secure is carrying out these three projects because in today’s environment, traditional signature-based anti-virus and firewall are not enough to protect a company’s mobile workforce who connects to the Internet to get their work done. With this in mind, these projects focus on building proactive prevention mechanisms that protects mobile workforce.

The outcomes of the STAR programme are intellectual property such as patents that can be taken up for further R&D by potential local companies as well as alleviating the lack of skilled workers in the areas of research. This will also require forging collaborative R&D efforts with foreign technology leaders, local companies, public research institutions and universities.

Heeding the call to work with local universities, F-Secure will provide special courses related to security for several local universities.

F-Secure Corp director and general manager Ingvar Froiland says one such course is the malware analysis, designed for lecturers based in Malaysia. The programme is expected to be organised by Mimos Berhad and several local universities.

Each course is conducted once per semester, which will fit into a university’s curriculum.

“Under the STAR grant, we are investing on developing IT security knowledge with the local talent pool in Malaysia through lectures and knowledge sharing,” says Froiland.

“F-Secure has forged close working relationships with local universities since it established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

“We have been working on internship programmes for students and have participated in student seminars and talk programmes.” Some of the universities that F-Secure is working with include Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology Multimedia University, University of Malaya, Monash University Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA.