The Defense Ministry recently issued a circular forbidding the usage of teleconference platform Zoom among its staff due to security concerns.

The circular, which was signed by Defense Ministry secretary-general Vice Adm. Agus Setiadji, stated that all working unit and subunit heads were required to disburse the information to their subordinates. 

“We urge all working unit and subunit heads to refrain from using Zoom for teleconferences,” the circular stated. 

Zoom has become a popular teleconferencing platform, as many companies implement work-from-home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. 

Nevertheless, the application has security holes, leading companies and institutions alike to look for alternatives.

Read also: Work from home: Security risks lurk in virtual meetings

A report from The Washington Post on April 3 explained that Zoom users face privacy risks, with up to 15,000 personal Zoom videos left viewable on the internet. According to The Washington Post, videos recorded on Zoom could be stored on other platforms without the participants’ consent. 

Such security concerns have led other countries, such as India, to ban Zoom usage for remote government meetings. 

The Defense Ministry also learned that Zoom had reported traffic duplication to servers in other countries, opening up the possibility for conversations via the platform to be monitored by a third party. 

“Defense Ministry employees are required to coordinate with the ministry’s Data and Information Center [Pusdatin] before conducting a teleconference session,” Agus stated in the circular. 

The ministry has requested Pusdatin head Dominggus Pakel to find a safe alternative for teleconferencing that could be used Defense Ministry staff.