The decision to establish the new unit comes in response to a series of high-profile cyber attacks. - AFP
JAKARTA: Indonesia is strengthening its digital defences by establishing a new cyber force, Angkatan Siber, which will become the fourth branch of the military, alongside the army, navy and air force.
Details about the initiative, backed by President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto, were disclosed on Sept 23, when Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto explained the need for the unit.
“Cyber warfare requires strategies to counter proxy wars, asymmetric conflicts and propaganda battles,” said Hadi during a parliamentary session.
While the move underscores the increasing importance of digital security, analysts raised concerns about funding and resources, especially given the existence of the current cyber-security agency in Indonesia.
The decision to establish the new unit comes in response to a series of high-profile cyber attacks.
Indonesia was hit by the worst cyber attack in recent memory in late June, when a data breach crippled immigration services for days, forcing officers to manually record the details of travellers as hours-long queues formed at entry points.
Another case that grabbed national headlines was when six million Indonesian taxpayer identification numbers – including that of Widodo, his family and his ministers – were listed for sale on the dark web in mid-September.
There were other data breaches in 2023, including one in May that year when a hacker group reportedly stole the personal particulars of more than 15 million customers and staff of Bank Syariah Indonesia, the country’s largest Islamic bank.
All these incidents have catalysed the need for a cyber force in the military, Edbert Gani Suryahudaya, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told The Straits Times.
“Indonesia’s vulnerability to cyber-security threats is arguably one of the highest in the region,” said Edbert, who is from the department of politics and social change.
“The frequent threats of cyber attacks necessitate a more comprehensive and strategic response from the government.”
Indonesia was at the bottom of the MIT Technology Review Insights’ Cyber Defence Index in 2023, which ranks the world’s 20 largest economies based on their cyber-security capabilities.
Given the archipelago’s susceptibility to online threats, establishing a cyber force will allow it to better safeguard its national interests, said Mr Beltsazar Krisetya, the principal researcher at CSIS’ Safer Internet Lab.
He noted that the upcoming unit also aligns with global military trends of nations prioritising cyber capabilities.
Singapore officially inaugurated the Digital and Intelligence Service, the latest service of the Singapore Armed Forces, on Oct 28, 2022. The Republic also introduced digital defence as the sixth pillar in its national defence framework Total Defence in 2019.
Other countries that have made progress in developing cyber forces include Germany with its Cyber and Information Domain Service, Norway with its Cyber Defence Force while China has the People’s Liberation Army Cyberspace Force.
“Indonesia’s move ensures it remains competitive and capable in modern warfare, where cyber operations play a crucial role,” said Beltsazar.
While the idea behind the cyber force has been well-received, some have raised concerns about its effectiveness without proper resources.
During the parliamentary meeting on the cyber force, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus said that without adequate funding, the cyber force will consist only of “human resources without the technology to support them”.
“This is not just about finding people, which is already challenging because we need specialists,” he said. “The equipment they use is even more crucial.”
The government has yet to disclose detailed plans on finding leaders and personnel for the cyber force, or how to equip it.
Associate Professor Leonard Sebastian from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore pointed out how this new arm of the Indonesian military, known as the TNI, raises questions about how it will attract talent in the already competitive tech sector.
“The creation of a fourth service will absorb a lot of resources since cyber expertise is more prevalent in the civilian sector,” he said.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult for the TNI to attract talent in a competitive market, considering that the salaries on offer in the civilian sector will be better?”
Indonesia already has the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), which was established in 2017 and is currently tasked to deal with cyber threats. Observers ST spoke to said that more clarity is needed to avoid overlap of authority.
“For the moment, should not the focus be on building up the capability of the BSSN? Why not simply build up cyber units within each service – the army, air force and navy – rather than a standalone fourth service?” said Dr Leonard.
BSSN head Hinsa Siburian said in September that his agency supports the idea of a new cyber force, given how increasingly complex cyber-security threats are becoming. There are no concrete details on how the two agencies will work together.
Edbert said what is most important is making sure that the new cyber force has a leader with substantial expertise in cyber security who understands the current challenges and the required infrastructure.
“Security issues must be managed by those with detailed knowledge of policy design. Otherwise, incompetence can lead to misattribution of problems and an overemphasis on external threats, rather than addressing root causes,” he said.
A lack of expertise, Edbert added, could limit accountability and transparency, allowing gaps in knowledge and policy responses to go unaddressed.
Channelling funds to the new military branch could also affect the current ones, noted Mr Beltsazar.
“The establishment of the cyber force is expected to consume a substantial amount of the military budget, which could potentially hamper the modernisation of other military branches.” - The Straits Times/ANN
