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View all search resultsData breaches abound as govt drags feet on new privacy law
The Communications and Information Ministry is working with experts to implement the new Personal Data Protection Law, but observers warn some aspects can’t wait any longer.
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string of digital attacks on state and private institutions that has jeopardized the data of millions of citizens has raised the pressure on the government to quickly establish the oversight agency and regulatory processes called for in the Personal Data Protection Law it passed last month.
The hacker known as Bjorka – who made an enemy of the government by allegedly leaking the private data of members of the ruling political elite – offered some 3.2 billion personal data entries from health surveillance application PeduliLindungi for sale on an online forum on Nov. 15.
The same hacker had put up 44 million personal data points apparently belonging to users of fuel payment app MyPertamina up for sale on the same forum five days earlier.
Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate told House of Representatives lawmakers on Wednesday that his office and the Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) were still investigating the multiple breaches and verifying the authenticity of the stolen data.
“We asked [state oil and gas company] Pertamina for a statement, but there has been nothing official from them as of [Wednesday]. Meanwhile, we received an update from the Health Ministry on Nov. 17 stating that it was working with [state telecommunications firm] Telekom and BSSN to carry out a digital forensics examination,” he told House Commission I overseeing information and intelligence.
Johnny said at least five different data breaches had been reported to his office by both public and private electronic service providers (ESPs), including MyPertamina and PeduliLindungi, as well as gaming website Mobile Legend Forum and online marketplaces Lazada and Carousell.
Since 2019, the ministry has recorded 77 violations of privacy affecting 49 private firms and 28 public firms, with 33 incidents occurring this year alone.
