Zscaler adds new Kuala Lumpur data center to expand Malaysia presence

Zscaler has launched a new data center in Kuala Lumpur to add local capacity for customers in Malaysia and the wider region.

Zscaler has opened a new data center in Kuala Lumpur as part of its ongoing expansion in Southeast Asia, adding local capacity for customers in Malaysia and nearby markets. The facility builds on the company's existing presence in the country and is intended to support growing demand linked to cloud use and AI-driven workloads.

The new site is available to customers across both the public and private sectors. According to the company, it is designed to improve performance and availability while supporting local data residency needs. The Kuala Lumpur facility also reflects broader infrastructure updates Zscaler says it is making to support newer cloud architectures.

Malaysia-based organizations are continuing to move applications and services off traditional networks and into cloud environments. At the same time, hybrid work and wider use of AI tools are increasing exposure to cyber risks. Zscaler says this shift has expanded both the scale and complexity of attacks, making older security models harder to manage.

Sanjay Yadave, Vice President and Managing Director for Greater Asia at Zscaler, said organizations in Malaysia are continuing to modernize their applications and infrastructure as they adopt cloud and AI. This shift, he said, has widened the attack surface, making security challenges more complex and harder to control using older approaches.

"With this accelerating shift, the threat landscape and attack surface advances in both volume and sophistication," Yadave said, adding that a zero trust approach has become more important as organizations move away from legacy private networks in what he described as a "cloud-enabled, connected, mobile-first world."

He said the expansion in Kuala Lumpur strengthens Zscaler's ability to support customers locally, while providing performance, scale, and resilience across major cloud platforms.

According to the vendor, the new data center is expected to reduce latency for users in Malaysia and improve service availability. It supports identity-based access controls and is designed to limit how far threats can spread if an incident occurs. The site also supports local hosting requirements, which remain a key consideration for many public sector agencies and regulated industries.

The Kuala Lumpur facility hosts the full Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform, including Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access. These services provide access to internet, SaaS, AI, and private applications without placing users directly on a corporate network.

Zscaler said the site follows its latest global design standards, with multiple network paths, backup power and cooling, and a high-availability setup aimed at reducing downtime.

The vendor added that it has increased compute capacity at the site to support current demand and longer-term growth across Malaysia and nearby markets.

Zscaler also positioned the investment as aligned with Malaysia's national cybersecurity priorities, including the protection of National Critical Information Infrastructure. Bringing infrastructure closer to users and applications, the company said, may help improve performance and reliability for organizations operating in the country. The Kuala Lumpur data center is part of Zscaler's global network of more than 160 facilities, which the company says are powered by renewable energy.

Datuk Wilson Ugak Anak Kumbong, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Digital Malaysia, said Malaysia's digital economy depends on secure and reliable infrastructure that can protect critical information assets while supporting new technologies.

"We welcome industry investments that align with our national cybersecurity objectives and NCII priorities," he said, adding that local, high-performance infrastructure can improve user experience and help organizations move forward with cloud and AI adoption.