The hacker added that the stolen information includes names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and blood types of the Indonesian police force. Indonesia has recently witnessed an uptick in cyberattacks. From January to August this year, the country’s national cyber agency recorded 888 million attempted cyber attacks. Furthermore, many of its government agencies have faced high-profile cyber incidents over the last few months. Read on to learn more details about the current breach, as well as the cyber incidents that Indonesia has faced in the recent past.
Details of the Alleged Data Breach on the National Police Server
On Wednesday, November 17, the hacker tweeted from the since-deleted Twitter handle @son1x666, claiming to have infiltrated the Indonesian National Police Server. Subsequently, they said to have obtained the personal information of 28,000 Indonesian police officers. The hacker claimed to be from Brazil, adding that the breach was carried out alone. “I’m doing this because I don’t support the government and the way they treat their own people,” the attacker said. Police Spokesman, Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo stated that the cybercrime unit is looking into the alleged breach. “It is being investigated by the cybercrime criminal investigation unit,” he said. “We will provide more information once there is an update.”
Recent Cyber Incidents in Indonesia
This incident is the latest in a line of cyberattacks against Indonesia. As a result, the country’s cyber vulnerabilities are under the spotlight. Last month, the same attacker claimed to breach the country’s Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN). Hackers have targeted other state agencies, as well. In August this year, hackers exploited a vulnerability in the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 app. This exposed the personal data and vaccination status of 1.3 million citizens, including the country’s President. In September, Indonesian police said they were investigating a cyberattack on the ten government ministries, including the nation’s intelligence agency. A group called Mustang Panda claimed responsibility for the hack. The alarming number of high-profile cyberattacks has led many to call for greater transparency in investigations. Wahyudi Djafar, executive director of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, said, “The challenge is, every time there’s a data breach that involves public institutions, there hasn’t been an investigation process that’s done with accountability.”
