Blockchain is among the many applied sciences that may improve digital safety in Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, says.

Zahid spoke on the Asia Worldwide Safety Summit and Expo 2025 on January 20, the place he known as on the area to step up safety measures for financial prosperity. With the expansion of the digital financial system within the area, cybersecurity has change into a very important discipline, with Zahid warning that criminals are actually tapping rising applied sciences like synthetic intelligence (AI) to launch complicated assaults.

“Whereas discussions are worthwhile, execution is crucial. I urge all stakeholders — governments, regulation enforcement companies, and trade leaders — to take concrete motion in sure key areas,” he acknowledged, as reported by native outlet Malay Mail.

Zahid proposed a nationwide blockchain-powered identity verification system to safeguard digital transactions for the 670 million residents of the fast-growing area. Blockchain might additionally mitigate towards identification fraud, which prices victims billions yearly; in 2023, Americans lost $43 billion to identity fraud.

In Southeast Asia, instances of identification fraud surged by 120% in 2024, in line with a report by the verification platform Sumsub. Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia recorded the very best rise, with reported instances tripling final yr. Pretend IDs and passports, account takeovers and the use of deepfakes had been among the many commonest crimes.

Except for blockchain, the Malaysian Deputy PM proposed “AI-driven predictive policing and real-time city surveillance to detect and forestall safety threats proactively.”

Zahid additionally desires ASEAN to launch a Cybercrime Job Drive to crack down on the area’s rising digital crimes.

One of many cybercrimes which have shot up in Southeast Asia is pig butchering, by which criminals endear themselves to a sufferer over weeks—generally even months—to extract the utmost quantity attainable. Research from Chainalysis revealed that pig butchering rings within the area depend on people who’ve been kidnapped, trafficked and compelled to conduct these scams.

The scammers lure their victims to spend money on bogus digital forex tasks or to ship them cash for “pressing” wants in digital belongings. Whereas some use bogus clone websites, others depend on reputable platforms with lax guardrails like Binance, which was convicted and fined final yr by American authorities.

Watch: Why utilizing clear ledger for digital identification ensures belief

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