The recent cyberattack in Indonesia has led to significant repercussions within the country’s administration, particularly in the realm of public services, including the immigration system at airports. In response to the breach that took place on June 20, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the director general of applications and information at Indonesia’s communication ministry, has tendered his resignation, taking moral responsibility for the incident. Furthermore, there has been mounting pressure for Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi to step down, with an online petition garnering over 25,000 signatures seeking his resignation.
This cyberattack has underscored the pervasive issue of cybersecurity in Indonesia, with critiques denouncing authorities for downplaying the seriousness of such breaches. President Joko Widodo has announced a comprehensive audit of the breach, emphasizing the imperative to fortify the safeguarding of sensitive data within governmental entities. He has also acknowledged the public’s call for accountability and has yet to reach a decision on the future of Minister Budi.
The hacker group behind the cyberattack initially requested a ransom of US$8 million but later retracted and provided a decryption key to unlock the stolen data, despite the government’s refusal to comply with their demands. The communication ministry has verified the functionality of the decryption key and is currently working towards restoring the affected systems, with a projected full recovery by next month and a mere 2% of the data restored thus far.
Beltsazar Krisetya, a cybersecurity researcher at Jakarta’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies, has underscored the inevitability of a large-scale cyberattack in Indonesia due to existing regulatory and technical deficiencies in data protection. The consequences of the breach have resulted in a standstill of Indonesia’s immigration system, causing substantial delays at airport immigration desks and impacting critical systems such as the electronic procurement registry and online applications for scholarships and tuition aid.
The prevalence of cyberattacks in Indonesia has raised concerns about the lack of transparency from authorities regarding the extent of the problem and the risks to citizens’ personal data. Digital rights group, Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), has been vocal in its condemnation, citing over 113 reported instances of personal data leaks in Indonesia over the past two years.
On social media, Indonesians are vocalizing their demands for heightened accountability and resignations within the communications and information ministry, emphasizing the necessity for competent and qualified leadership to confront the country’s cybersecurity challenges. Specifically, there are calls for Minister Budi’s replacement to be based on expertise in information and communications technology, rather than political considerations.
As Indonesia contends with the aftermath of this cyberattack, the need for a comprehensive and strategic approach to cybersecurity has never been more pressing.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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