TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -

Our digital security is vulnerable and outdated. A single ransomware attack has crippled a significant amount of national data. Astonishingly, the damage cannot be repaired because the government does not have a backup of the data. Where did the substantial budget for personal data protection go?

Even more absurd is that there had been warnings about this attack from another agency to the management of the Temporary National Data Center. However, these warnings were dismissed as trivial and disregarded. That was a costly mistake. The cyberattack had not only breached the data center but also shattered public trust in a government that failed to safeguard personal information.

In this Internet era, data centers are incredibly valuable. Besides being bought and sold, personal data can be exploited for market mapping and fraudulent schemes. The recent breach of the data center highlight the government’s lack of perspective on the importance of data stored in the digital world.

The perspective that trivializes national data arises from the paradigm of state officials who view data solely as a matter of national security. Instead of protecting it, they believe they control it and have the right to treat it as they see fit. Therefore, after the breach was exposed to the public, the government offered no apologies or declarations of urgency regarding the attack.

Hundreds of agencies have experienced service disruptions due to this breach. However, because state officials view public data primarily through the lens of national security, they have not shown any prevention or recovery strategies to calm the public. As custodians of data, government officials are busy deflecting responsibility for who should protect personal data.

It is not surprising that some members of the House of Representatives question whether the breach of the National Data Center was purely a hacker attack or simply negligence and incompetence on the part of data center managers. There were even speculations among the public that the breach was retaliation by online gambling operators whose business practices were under government scrutiny.

This is because the handling of cybersecurity is similar to tackling online gambling. Instead of pursuing the operators, the government and security forces are busy chasing the players. They do not see the players as victims of the operators. Similarly, with the data breach, the government is busy denying and failing to provide adequate explanations about the severity of the attack. Our government always focuses on the wrong part of the problem.

And it seems that this very serious attack is not going to make the government realize the importance of safeguarding public digital security. There might be another major case soon, which will make everybody forget about the hacking of the National Data Center. Whatever happens, enjoy reading our coverage of this cyberattack in this week’s edition.

Bagja Hidayat

Deputy Chief Editor

The Hacking of the National Data Center

The hacking of the Temporary National Data Center revealed a number of issues. From vulnerable security systems, non-sterile networks, to personnel negligence. Data recovery encountered problems because the government did not have a data backup of the hacked digital files.

Knockout Out by a Cyberattack

The breach of the National Data Center resulted in the disruption of hundreds of public services. Data infected with viruses cannot be recovered.

Law

Unveiling Corruption in the Rorotan Land Acquisition

The KPK is investigating a case of land corruption in Rorotan, North Jakarta. The land was intended for the zero-down payment housing program. A go-cart racer is implicated in this case.

Economy

Aircraft Components Import Bans and Restrictions Hold Airlines Hostage

Airlines are suffocating from the high costs of maintenance and operations. The consequence of regulatory bans and restrictions on aircraft components.

Interview

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi: This Attack Paralyzed Us

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie explains the cyberattack on the Temporary National Data Center. He dismisses allegations of negligence.

Read at Tempo Magazine:

The Hacking of the National Data Center

Knockout Out by a Cyberattack

Unveiling Corruption in the Rorotan Land Acquisition

Aircraft Components Import Bans and Restrictions Hold Airlines Hostage

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi: This Attack Paralyzed Us