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The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kemenkominfo) is taking strategic steps to strengthen digital security, an integral part of Indonesia’s four main pillars of digital literacy. This initiative aims to raise public awareness about the importance of maintaining security in the digital realm, especially as cyber threats continue to evolve in tandem with Indonesia’s rapid digital transformation.
Hokky Situngkir, Director General of Informatics Applications at Kemenkominfo, underscored the significance of the digital security pillar amidst the fast-paced digitalisation. “This digital security is one of the important pillars because imagine we have accelerated the digital transformation. We have created hundreds of game industries, we have grown digital startups, we have mapped MSMEs going digital. Suddenly there were many data breach disturbances, people were deceived by posting their ID cards on social media and all sorts of things, things like this require great attention in digital literacy.”
Rapid digitalisation across various sectors, including the creative industry, startups, and SMEs, has introduced new cybersecurity challenges. Suppose an increase in literacy and digital security awareness is separate from this digital transformation. In that case, the public and businesses risk becoming victims of increasingly complex cyber threats, such as data breaches, online fraud, and identity exploitation.
According to the 2022 Digital Literacy Status Report for Indonesia, released in 2023, the public’s digital security index only reached 3.12, significantly lower than other digital literacy pillars such as digital culture (3.84), digital skills (3.52), and digital ethics (3.68). This indicates that Indonesian society remains highly vulnerable to cyber threats. A similar report from 2021 revealed that despite progress in digital transformation, the digital security index still ranked the lowest at 3.10.
In response to these findings, enhancing the digital literacy pillar has become essential. Despite only being in his role as Director General of APTIKA for three weeks, Hokky has already advocated for bolstering the digital security component in the latest digital literacy programs managed by his directorate.
One of the latest initiatives is through the UMKM Go Digital 2024 programme, where Kemenkominfo has incorporated materials on digital security that SME actors must understand. This initiative aims not only to help SMEs effectively utilise digital technology but also to protect them from various cyber threats, such as online fraud and other digital crimes that are becoming increasingly rampant.
Further, the government also strives to bolster cybersecurity protection in Indonesia through various initiatives and regulations. One strategic step taken is incorporating cybersecurity strategies as a critical element in the Vision of Digital Indonesia (VID) 2045.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Nezar Patria, emphasised the importance of active participation from various parties, including the public, industry players, and academics, in efforts to strengthen cybersecurity in Indonesia. Nezar encouraged industry players to continuously enhance cybersecurity measures and educate users about the importance of digital security.
Moreover, Indonesia is reinforcing its security infrastructure using platforms like labour.go.id, an official government information system that receives public aspirations and complaints online. This reflects Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening its digital infrastructure and promoting transparency in addressing cyber threats.
Through these various efforts, Indonesia envisions being an advanced country in digital technology adoption and resilient to multiple security threats in the digital era. With close collaboration between the government, the private sector, and the public, Indonesia is expected to achieve a secure, inclusive, and sustainable digital transformation.
