Data leaks in Indonesia have become increasingly common as the country struggles to implement good digital governance while the adoption of new technologies continues apace.

The latest breach was flagged on Sunday by cybersecurity researcher Teguh Aprianto, who tweeted that a hacker had put up for sale some 337 million data points allegedly siphoned from the ministry’s population and civil registry (Dukcapil) on online hacker platform BreachForums, prompting fresh personal data protection concerns.

The hacker, who goes by the pseudonym RRR, uploaded an offer on the forum on Friday for an undisclosed sum of money. The leak purportedly offers 71 samples of data consisting of citizens’ full names, national ID and family card (KK) numbers as well as addresses and other information usually used in the retrieval of passwords.

The cyberattack has thrown the Home Ministry into the spotlight, as it is one of the few government agencies authorized to handle such sensitive information.

“So far there have been no traces of any data leaks from SIAK,” said Teguh Setyabudi, the ministry’s director general for the civil registry, on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com. SIAK is the information system authorities use to administer population data.

An investigation into the source of the alleged leak is currently ongoing, the official added. The National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) has been brought into the fold in anticipation of future data breach incidents.

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