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Police ends probe into alleged eHAC data leak
Cyber experts have called the discontinuation of the police investigation into the alleged e-HAC data leak "premature" while lamenting the absence of a data protection law, with the bill languishing in the deliberation stage between legislators and the government.
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A stock illustration shows a computer technician scrolling through data. The alleged leak of data from the electronic Health Alert Card (e-HAC), potentially affecting 1.3 million users. has drawn condemnation from experts and politicians alike. (Unsplash/Courtesy of Mika Baumeister-)
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uthorities on Tuesday called off their investigation into the alleged leak of electronic Health Alert Card (eHAC) data from an unsecured third-party database, but experts have called the move "premature", as it remained unclear whether the data had been leaked before encryption provider vpnMentor first reported the issue in July.
The move comes after a seven-day investigation involving the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), the National Police and the Health Ministry into the vpnMentor report initially submitted to the ministry on July 21. The alleged data leak is thought to have compromised the personal data of around 1.3 million eHAC users, including their contact details and national identity (ID) cards.
Health Ministry’s eHAC is a mandatory requirement for both domestic and international travelers so the government can keep track of COVID-19 cases across the country.
“Following the probe by the National Police at the Health Ministry and its partners, [we] did not detect any attempts to retrieve the data stored on the eHAC server,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Argo Yuwono said on Tuesday, as quoted by antaranews.com.
Argo also confirmed that the police had dropped their investigation into the alleged data leak.
Anas Ma’ruf, who heads the Health Ministry’s Data and Information Center, stressed that the eHAC database, which was now linked to official COVID-19 tracking app PeduliLindungi, was adequately protected. He added that the findings of the investigation provided reassurances that the database was secured against potential leaks and breaches.
Read also: Cyber-attack haunts Indonesia's COVID-19 strategy
