Hackers are increasingly targeting Malaysia’s growing automotive sector, cybersecurity experts have warned in a new report that raises alarm over gaps in threat detection, including potential data theft via phones hooked to vehicular digital dashboards.
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A key automotive manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has attracted around 26 billion ringgit (US$6.15 billion) in electric vehicle investments since 2018 from global marquee names including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Stellantis and Dongfeng.
But the industry’s rapid shift towards software-dependent vehicles is creating new vulnerabilities ripe for exploitation by malicious actors, according to Singapore-based Ensign Infosecurity’s 2025 report on the cyber threat landscape in Asia-Pacific.
“Malaysia’s extensive network of automotive suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers further exposes organisations to vulnerabilities in the cyber supply chain,” Jeremy Moke, senior director of Ensign Infosecurity Malaysia, told This Week in Asia.
One vulnerability involves attackers intercepting sensitive data from mobile devices connected to a compromised vehicle’s infotainment systems through widely used platforms such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, according to Moke.
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“The automotive and mobility sector is an emerging target sector in Malaysia,” Moke said. “The proliferation of modern vehicles integrating complex computing, software, and the supporting infrastructure creates new points of vulnerability.”
Ensign’s report puts the automotive sector behind the public sector, telcos, hospitality and banks in the ranking of industries most vulnerable to cyberattacks.