Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) is concerned about the rising national cyber threats. Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics Nezar Patria stated that globally, there was an increase in cybersecurity cases from 40% in 2019 to more than 77% in 2023.
“Cybersecurity is at the core of almost every aspect of our lives. Moreover, with our increasing dependence on digital technology, cybersecurity cases have experienced a significant spike,” he said in the UGM Ramadan Public Lecture at the UGM Yogyakarta Campus Mosque on Sunday (03/31).
Indonesia is ranked 48th out of 176 countries with a cybersecurity index of 63.64 and 5th in Southeast Asia. According to Nezar, the main targets of cyberattacks are predominantly industries that store personal data or are involved in a vast ecosystem with other units. He emphasized, “This shows the need to scale up efforts to strengthen cyber security in Indonesia.”
Increasing the use of cloud-based services
Nezar stressed the importance of three approaches to overcoming cyber threats. “First, increasing the use of cloud-based services; second, carrying out digital transformation; and third, strengthening public awareness of cyberattacks,” he explained.
Further, Nezar emphasized the importance of protecting personal data and respecting other people’s private domains. According to him, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics has made efforts to formulate Law No. 27 of 2022 on Personal Data Protection (UU PDP). “We hope that more people will understand their rights and obligations regarding personal data. As individuals, we should maintain cybersecurity, including not violating other people’s rights and private domains,” he said.
In a lecture titled Cybersecurity in the Internet of Things (IoT) Era: Threats and Defense Strategies, Nezar invited every citizen to leverage technological advances well to minimize cybersecurity threats. “Humans should manage the use of technology to bring many benefits, not harm. Let’s continue to improve technological skills and literacy to realize the use of technology that can carry out the mission of spreading grace to all of nature,” he concluded.
