INSTITUTIONAL REVAMPS NECESSARY
Yet, the solution is less about technology and more about institutions. This may mean revamping the institutions overseeing its digital infrastructures, namely Kominfo and BSSN.
Kominfo needs stronger institutional capability, technocratic experience and technological vision. Its authority covers all areas of communication and information technology, but its leaders lack competence and expertise in this field. In organisational studies, it is widely acknowledged that meritocracy in leadership shapes a stronger institution.
It is therefore odd that such an important ministry has been led by political figures in the past decade, instead of professionals with proven credentials. This is perhaps due to the view that the minister position is seen as mere political barter, and current minister Budi Arie Setiadi has faced growing calls to resign after the PDNS attack.
As for BSSN, it is in need of restructuring and proper resourcing to act as the agency for cybersecurity, a task it took over from Kominfo. Since its inception in 2021, BSSN has lacked capacity to oversee the task due to insufficient staff, resources and authority. It receives relatively a small amount of annual budget only enough for maintenance but not for improving expertise in cybersecurity.
The recent cyberattack revealed the institutional disarray between Kominfo and BSSN during a digital crisis. Kominfo held BSSN responsible for the incident, while BSSN insisted the protection of the temporary server would be under Kominfo’s authority. Perhaps it would be in Indonesia’s interest to return cybersecurity under the management of Kominfo.
Indonesia is without a doubt capable of acquiring the best possible cybersecurity systems. What will be more challenging is to ensure its institutions can live up to its digital ambitions.
Sulfikar Amir is Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and author of The Technological State In Indonesia: The Co-constitution Of High Technology And Authoritarian Politics.
