The proposal comes amid rising cases of data breaches and digital attacks: Indonesia saw nearly 100 incidents of data breaches, mostly afflicting government bodies, were recorded between 2019 and mid-2023, according to the Communications and Information Ministry.
recent proposal by the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) that the Indonesian Military (TNI) create a fourth armed service to deal with cyber threats, dubbed a cyber force, has been met with concern.
The proposal comes amid rising cases of data breaches and digital attacks. At least 94 incidents of data breaches, mostly afflicting government bodies, were recorded between 2019 and mid-2023, according to the Communications and Information Ministry.
Lemhanas chief Andi Widjajanto said earlier this month that he had begun to draft plans that could pave the way for the formation of the TNI’s cyber force, which would be the latest addition to the current armed services: the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Andi’s statement came just a few weeks after former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) head Hendropriyono also made a similar suggestion.
‘Too premature’
Critics, however, are unconvinced that forming some sort of cyber army would immediately solve Indonesia’s cybersecurity woes.
“It’s not a bad suggestion. But, it’s still too premature for Indonesia right now,” Khairul Fahmi of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
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