APU School of Technology (SoT), Cyber Security and Forensics Group organised Cyber Awareness Week 2026 with industry partners, featuring talks, workshops and competitions to strengthen cyber security awareness and hands-on skills in areas such as AI, DevSecOps and digital forensics.

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Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) School of Technology (SoT) successfully organised Cyber Awareness Week 2026 from 4 to 8 May 2026 at APU’s state-of-the-art campus in collaboration with Netsec Sdn. Bhd., OffSec, CyberSecurity Malaysia and LGMS Berhad. 

The week-long event brought together industry leaders, cybersecurity professionals, academics and students to strengthen awareness and collaboration in the rapidly evolving cyber security landscape.

The event commenced with an opening address by Professor Dr Ho Chin Kuan, APU Vice-Chancellor, who welcomed participants and distinguished guests including Yang Mulia Tunku Dato’ Mohamed Alauddin and Yang Mulia Tengku A’liaa Muna.

In his speech, Prof Ho highlighted APU’s strong commitment towards producing highly employable graduates equipped with industry-relevant skills. 

He emphasised that APU, home to students from over 134 countries, continuously invested in world-class facilities and strategic industry collaborations to strengthen talent development in cyber security.

“We have established the Cyber Security Talent Zone (CSTZ), one of the university’s key success factors, through strong industry partnerships. 

“Collaborations with organisations such as Netsec and OffSec help ensure that our students remain aligned with industry reforms and standards,” he said during his address at Auditorium Six.

Mr Azman Mohamad Azizi, Executive Director of Netsec Sdn. Bhd., shared that APU’s initiatives had contributed significantly towards strengthening Malaysia’s cyber security ecosystem.

“Cyber security is not merely a business concern but also a national issue that requires stronger and more proactive measures. This collaboration between APU and Netsec is important in preparing future defenders with real-world skills and technical excellence,” he said.

He further added that the partnership represented more than just an educational collaboration, as it also served as a strategic effort to strengthen Malaysia’s offensive security capabilities and bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Meanwhile, Dr David Zhao, Head of APAC at OffSec, described the collaboration as the beginning of a significant journey, particularly as technologies such as artificial intelligence continued to reshape the way people lived and worked.

Drawing from his 15 years of experience in the cyber security field, he stressed the importance of continuous collaboration and practical learning in an increasingly progressive cyber landscape. 

He also encouraged learners to embrace challenges and assured students that OffSec would continue supporting APU through practical and industry-relevant curriculum development.

The opening ceremony continued with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony between APU, Netsec and OffSec, followed by the official launch of the OffSec University Chapter and a group photography session.

Also present were Dato Shafik Rizaal Saaban, Chief Strategy Officer of Netsec Sdn. Bhd.; Professor Ir EUR ING Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, APU Chief Innovation, Enterprise & Sustainability Officer; Associate Professor Dr Thang Ka Fei, Senior Head of SoT; and Dr Julia Juremi, Head of APU’s Forensics and Cyber Security Research Centre (FSeC) for Cyber Awareness Week, alongside academics from the cyber security and digital forensics groups.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in a wide range of knowledge-sharing sessions, competitions and hands-on workshops designed to enhance cyber security awareness and technical expertise.

Highlights from the first day included a sharing session titled The Journey to OSCP+: Stories from the Field by OffSec alumnus Mr Mohin Paramasivam, Security Consultant at FIRMUS, together with final-year student Sean Lee. 

The day concluded with a panel discussion titled From Offense to Resilience: Malaysia’s Next Cyber Decade, moderated by Assistant Professor Ts Dr Vinesha Selvarajah and featuring panellists Dato Shafik Rizaal Saaban, Dr David Zhao and Ms Yaslinda Mohamad Yassin from CyberSecurity Malaysia.

The second day featured industry talks on cyber psychology, including a session titled Inside the Psychology of the Dark Web by Ms Dhevaania C. Gendsen. 

Visitors also toured the Cyber Security Talent Zone (CSTZ) through sessions organised by the Student Services and Marketing team. The day continued with a Mini Capture the Flag (CTF) competition held at the Cyber Range and AI Lab.

The competition concluded with prize presentations to ctfar (1st place), Team 27 (2nd place), PalsNetz (3rd place), TriCyber (4th place), ZeroDay (5th place) and C0nc3ptSquad (6th place).

The day ended with a Digital Forensics Games session organised by the APU Special Interest Group of Women in Security (ASIGWISE).

On the third day, the Forensics and Cyber Security Research Centre – Student Section (FSeC-SS), mentored by Assistant Professor Nor Azlina Abdul Rahman and Ms Noris Ismail, conducted Cyber Security Awareness Quizzes through the CyberWise Portal. 

Participants also attended a hands-on workshop titled Beyond the Surface – Leveraging OSINT for Data Leak Analysis and Threat Intelligence by Mr Fahim Md Hassan Shahriar at the APU Cyber Range, followed by an online internal CTF competition.

The fourth day featured an industry talk on DevSecOps delivered by Mr Mohammad Harris Mokhtar, Head of Unit at TM Research & Development.

The final day concluded with industry talks on Digital Forensics titled Beyond the Textbook: Real Cyber Investigation Cases and Field Challenges, presented by Ms Kayne Hoo, Digital Forensics & Incident Response Lead at LGMS, and Mr Loo Li Zhe, Analyst for Digital Forensics & Incident Response at LGMS.

Cyber Awareness Week 2026 concluded with a closing ceremony and the announcement of winners for the internal CTF competition, Digital Forensics Games and Cyber Security Awareness Quizzes, marking the successful end of a highly engaging and impactful week dedicated to advancing cyber security knowledge and collaboration.