Malaysia's shortage of job-ready cybersecurity workers has a new training answer. On 21 May 2026, BlackBerry and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) launched Cyber Pathways, a professional certification programme aimed at widening the country's pipeline of cyber talent.
The programme was launched at UKM Bangi by BlackBerry Chief Executive Officer John Giamatteo and UKM Vice-Chancellor Prof Dato Dr Sufian Jusoh. It runs for 24 weeks and is built for recent graduates and working professionals who want to move into cybersecurity.
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How the programme is built
Cyber Pathways uses a stackable, three-tier structure covering Cyber Protection, Cyber Management and Cyber Security. Learners can build from one tier to the next, earning industry-recognised certifications along the way. BlackBerry and UKM describe the launch as the first milestone under a multi-year agreement intended to strengthen cyber resilience across Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region.
The focus is practical. Rather than theory alone, the programme promises hands-on competencies and exposure to real-world cybersecurity requirements, the kind of skills employers say are missing when they try to hire locally.
A wider push into Malaysian talent
The Cyber Pathways launch followed a separate meeting a day earlier. On 20 May 2026, Giamatteo and Sufian met the Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, to discuss how the state can strengthen its digital talent base, cybersecurity capability and Industry 5.0 readiness. Those talks touched on sectors Sarawak wants to grow, including semiconductors, electric vehicles, robotics and advanced industrial automation.
Taken together, the two engagements point to a deeper BlackBerry commitment to building skills inside Malaysia rather than importing them. For a company once known for its phones, the work now sits squarely in cybersecurity services and training.
Why it matters
Demand for security professionals keeps climbing as more of the economy moves online, and local supply has not kept pace. A certification route tied to a public university, with industry backing, gives career changers a clearer path in. Whether it moves the numbers will depend on how many complete the programme and how employers value the credential, but the intent is aimed at a real gap.