Driving justice: Gobind (third from left) attending a demonstration of the vehicle forensic laboratory’s capabilities during its launch in Cyberjaya. — AZHAR MAHFOF/ The Star
CYBERJAYA: Malaysia’s first vehicle forensic laboratory, which can support investigations on matters ranging from road accidents to cross-border crime such as human trafficking, is now on the roads.The vehicle forensic laboratory not only improves the country’s technical abilities, but it is also in line with the government’s aspirations to improve digital security while stimulating economic growth, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, whose ministry is in charge of the initiative.
The mobile forensic laboratory can provide vehicle data retrieval, crash data analysis, dashcam data preservation, data speed analysis from video footage, cybersecurity analysis for vehicle systems and vehicle tracking.
It can also analyse engine control unit (ECU) data and provide technical support after analysing vehicular data.
Aside from road accidents, the mobile forensic lab can support criminal investigations by the authorities, such as probing smuggling, human trafficking, and cross-border crime using vehicles.
According to the ministry, the vehicle forensic laboratory has been certified by the Malaysia Book of Records as the first mobile forensic lab in Malaysia.
Gobind said the initiative strengthens Malaysia’s position as a regional leader in the field of automotive digital forensics, and ensures that the people, economy and national security are protected from increasingly complex digital threats.
He said the detailed data produced from this lab would allow investigators to probe incidents better.
“This is a tool that can help us solve problems. I was also informed that there will be cooperation with the relevant authorities, such as the police or the Road Transport Department when there is an accident,” he said at Menara Cyber Axis here yesterday.
Gobind said he instructed Cybersecurity Malaysia to ensure that data privacy laws are upheld in the use of the vehicle forensic laboratory.
“We have to ensure that data is safely stored. There are data privacy laws in Malaysia, and on this matter, we will not compromise.”
The public can request for the vehicle forensic laboratory services by emailing a request to the digital forensics department via dfd@cybersecurity.my.
