Malaysian Consumer Enthusiasm for Digital Services Faces Growing Feelings of Vulnerability, Reports IDEMIA Secure Transactions Study

The IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) study, conducted across 11 countries with more than 3 300 respondents¹, highlights a challenge for the digital economy: the rapid evolution of digital technologies is creating an important gap between adoption and understanding. While digital services are now deeply embedded in everyday life, particularly in Malaysia, many users feel exposed to cyber risks they do not fully understand.

Digital adoption is extremely strong

• 98% of Malaysians report high digital usage
• 87% express concerns around digital fraud
• Nearly half say they do not fully understand cyber risks despite high awareness
• 83% of Malaysians familiar with quantum computing already see it as a cybersecurity risk

Security is a key expectation

In Malaysia, 98% of respondents described themselves as frequent users of digital services, cementing its status as a digital first nation.. At the same time, more than half of respondents (53%) say they feel more vulnerable online today than they did five years ago.

Cybersecurity concerns are particularly high in Malaysia. 87% of respondents expressed concerns around fraud via digital tools, while 91% worry about the theft of personal data when using digital services. In parallel, nearly half of respondents acknowledge that although they are aware of cyber risks, they do not fully understand how these threats work or how they may be exposed to them.

The findings illustrate a broader shift in user expectations. Despite growing concerns around fraud and cyberattacks, consumers are not stepping away from digital services. Instead, they increasingly expect security to be seamlessly embedded into their digital experiences, without compromising convenience or ease of use.

Growing expectations around trust and security

The study also highlights the growing complexity of the cybersecurity landscape. Respondents identified AI-driven cyberattacks as a major factor behind rising concerns. Emerging technologies such as quantum computing are beginning to reshape conversations around long-term digital security and resilience. While only a minority of Malaysians say they clearly understand quantum computing, 83% of those familiar with the technology already perceive it as a potential cybersecurity threat.

As digital ecosystems become more sophisticated, trust is becoming a defining factor in how users engage with technology. In Malaysia, digital adoption shows to be one of the strongest, but users also expect greater transparency, stronger protection and more reassurance around how their data and transactions are secured. As a company securing billions of digital interactions every year, we see firsthand at IDEMIA Secure Transactions how expectations around trust and security are evolving. The challenge for the industry is no longer only to secure digital services, but to make security tangible, understandable and future-ready for users,
Marc BERTIN, CTO at IDEMIA Secure Transactions.

Security and trust as foundations of the digital economy

As a global provider of secure payment, connectivity and cybersecurity solutions, IST works with financial institutions, telecom operators, automotive and IoT manufacturer, as well as digital service providers worldwide to secure interactions at scale. The study reflects IST’s broader commitment to understanding how trust, security and emerging technologies are shaping the future of digital services.

The report also underscores the importance of secure-by-design technologies such as encryption, authentication and tokenization, which help strengthen trust while maintaining seamless user experiences.

¹ The IPSOS BVA survey for IDEMIA Secure Transactions was conducted between February and March 2026 in France, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, The United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, over more than 3300 persons aged 15 and over. The survey’s representativeness was ensured through the quota method. Samples in each country were weighted according to gender, age and region.